AP, PTI file photos
New Delhi: BJP and Congress won four seats each in the Rajya Sabha elections held on Friday in Karnataka and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, counting of votes in Haryana and Maharashtra were stalled due to alleged violation of rules.
Karnataka
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP leaders Jaggesh and Lahar Singh, and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh won the polls from Karnataka. BJP managed to win the third seat despite lacking enough first preference votes. It is believed that the disagreement between Congress and JD(S) helped the BJP win an extra seat. One JD(S) legislator has reportedly voted for BJP.
Rajasthan
The ruling Congress on Friday won three of the four Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, overcoming the challenge posed by BJP-backed independent candidate Subhash Chandra, according to the party.
The BJP got the fourth seat.
Congress candidates Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari were elected to the Rajya Sabha.
"Congress's victory on three Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan is a victory of democracy. I congratulate all the three newly elected MPs Shri Pramod Tiwari, Shri Mukul Wasnik and Shri Randeep Surjewala. I am sure that all the three MPs will be able to strongly advocate the rights of Rajasthan in Delhi," Gehlot tweeted.
Maharashtra
The counting of votes for the Rajya Sabha elections was delayed on Friday in Maharashtra and Haryana over alleged violation of rules, officials said.
The counting was held up in Maharashtra after opposition BJP alleged three MLAs of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)--Cabinet ministers Jitendra Awhad (NCP) and Yashomati Thakur (Congress), besides Shiv Sena legislator Suhas Kande violated the model code for voting.
"We have filed an appeal before the Election Commission of India, seeking that their votes be held invalid," said a state BJP leader.
The BJP has alleged that Awhad and Thakur handed over their ballots to their party agents instead of only showing them the ballots, while Kande showed his ballot to two different agents.
Haryana
The counting has been put on hold in Haryana for identical reasons.
The BJP and the Independent candidate backed by it have urged the Election Commission to cancel the votes of two Congress MLAs.
BJP nominee Krishan Lal Panwar and Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma shot off a missive to the EC, alleging Congress MLAs Kiran Choudhary and B B Batra showed their ballot papers to unauthorised persons after marking them and that the episodes were "duly captured" on cameras.
The counting has been put on hold in view of the complaint made to the Election Commission, sources said in Chandigarh, adding further action will depend on the directions given by the poll panel.
(With input from agencies)
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