BJP-backed media tycoon Subhash Chandra has won from Haryana along with the party’s official candidate Birendra Singh.
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Counting for the state was held up as JD (S) official poll agent HD Revanna wrote to the Returning Officer, alleging irregularities by ruling Congress by using government machinery and demanded cancellation of the election and a CBI inquiry.
“All our MLAs voted in favour of Anand”, he said.
BJP backed-Independent candidate and media baron Subhash Chandra won in a contest marred by cross-voting with 14 votes of Congress being rejected.
The Congress is likely to seek an explanation from former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who may face action after MLAs owing allegiance to him rebelled against the party’s decision.
Party general secretary BK Hariprasad said they will approach the Election Commission on Monday.
In Madhya Pradesh, victory of the BJP’s two candidates is certain as the party has the required numbers but there will be a contest between the BJP and the Congress for the third seat.
Virender Singh manged to get his 14 votes transferred to Chandra as he secured 40 votes and those who voted for Virender Singh as first preference had Chandra as their second preference.
Out of 11 seats in UP, the SP won seven seats, BSP 2, BJP and Congress one each.
Chandra, an independent candidate supported by the BJP, scraped through amid political drama during the vote count. He has denied any cross voting by MLAs.
He alleged that horse trading had taken place in the polls and “democracy has been murdered”.
Congress, on the other hand, won six seats – one each in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand and three in Karnataka. He polled 15 votes.
“Since this pen was made available to voters to mark the ballot, the votes could not have been rejected on this ground”, it added. The Congress winners were its stalwarts Oscar Fernandes, Jairam Ramesh and K.C. Ramamurthy.
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BJP s Bhimtal MLA Dan Singh Bhandari had resigned from the Assembly yesterday, bringing down the party s tally in the House to 26, while all 32 members of the Congress-PDF combine cast their votes. The ace lawyer, who was defeated in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, faced a tough challenge from a dark horse from the BJP side – Preeti Mahapatra – BJPbacked independent candidate. All four finally came together and told the reporters that they were going to vote for the Congress candidate. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley too will participate in the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers and will try to iron out differences over the new regime that will include all indirect taxes and create one national market under the GST.
