Amid fears of cross-voting in the June 11 Rajya Sabha polls, the main Opposition INLD in Haryana has apparently packed off most of its MLAs to the hill resort of Mussorie, while other parties have gone into a huddle to chalk out their strategies.
The ruling BJP has nominated Union Minister Birender Singh for one of the two seats and he is assured of a comfortable win, but a keen contest is expected for the second seat between media baron Subhash Chandra and INLD-supported lawyer R. K. Anand, who are fighting it out as Independent candidates.
Apprehending that some of its MLAs may not toe the party line, especially as BJP-backed Mr. Chandra had claimed support of at least two INLD MLAs, a dozen-odd legislators of the party were on Tuesday sent off to the hill station in Uttarakhand.
ADVERTISEMENT
The INLD has 19 MLAs in the 90-member House.
While its MLAs Parminder Singh Dhull and Jaswinder Singh Sandhu have denied reports that they have gone to Mussorie, the party’s Haryana unit president Ashok Arora said some other legislators have gone there “for a vacation” on their own.
Asked if the move was due to fear of cross-voting by some of their MLAs, Mr. Arora said: “A few of our legislators have gone to Mussorie and will be back in Chandigarh well in time before the voting for the Rajya Sabha polls on June 11. There is no fear of cross-voting. Some of our MLAs have gone there for a short vacation.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Mr. Arora said the party will be supporting Mr. Anand.
However, the lone BSP candidate from Haryana,Tek Chand Sharma, has announced his party’s support to Mr. Chandra.
“My support will be for the BJP and the candidate backed by the party,” said Mr. Sharma, the MLA from Prithla.
Cong yet to decide
The Congress, meanwhile, is yet to reveal its cards and said the future course of action for the Rajya Sabha polls will be decided at an AICC meeting on June 10.
“As of today, we have not taken any decision (whether to vote or abstain). On June 10, we will decide at the AICC meeting in Delhi,” former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said.
On Tuesday, Mr. Hooda and another senior leader, Kuldip Bishnoi, who recently merged his HJC with the Congress, had separately met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi to discuss the party’s strategy for the upcoming polls.
On Wednesday, more leaders from the Haryana Congress, including former Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Sharma, are meeting the party high command to discuss the party’s strategy for the RS polls.
The entry of Mr. Chandra and Mr. Anand has put the Congress in a tricky situation. The party has often accused the INLD of playing second fiddle to ruling BJP and if it backs Mr. Anand, it will mean backing an INLD-supported candidate. If the Congress decides to abstain from the vote, it will mean letting Mr. Chandra win.
.—PTI