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Former MP Sanjay Bhatia of the BJP and Dalit activist Karamvir Boudh of the Congress were declared elected through preference votes, according to party leaders who spoke after counting concluded past 1.35 am on Tuesday.

Chandigarh: The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress on Tuesday claimed victory on one seat each in the election to two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana after a closely fought contest that also saw cross-voting within the Congress and the INLD abstaining from voting.

Former MP Sanjay Bhatia of the BJP and Dalit activist Karamvir Boudh of the Congress were declared elected through preference votes, according to party leaders who spoke after counting concluded past 1.35 am on Tuesday. The official announcement of results was awaited at the time of filing the report. The election turned contentious after four Congress votes were declared invalid and five Congress MLAs cross-voted, prompting party general secretary B K Hariprasad to warn of strict action against those responsible. Congress MLA Mohd Ilyas was confirmed to have cross-voted, while the identities of the remaining MLAs who defied the party line were yet to be officially disclosed.

Voting Disputes, Delayed Counting

Counting was delayed by more than 5 hours following complaints of violations of vote secrecy. Among three such complaints, the vote of Congress MLA Paramvir Singh was declared invalid by the Returning Officer. With several votes invalidated, the effective strength of the Assembly was reduced during counting.

Narrow Defeat for BJP-Backed Independent

The BJP-backed Independent candidate Satish Nandal lost by a narrow margin. Haryana Sports Minister Gaurav Gautam claimed Nandal was defeated by just three votes, adding that the outcome might have been different had the INLD’s two MLAs not abstained. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) had stayed away from the voting process earlier in the day.

War of Words Between BJP and Congress

Soon after the counting concluded, both parties traded accusations over the conduct of the election. Hariprasad accused the BJP of attempting to poach Congress MLAs, alleging efforts at horse-trading.

“The BJP went all out when it came to horse-trading, but the Congress leaders stood their ground. They even followed us to Himachal Pradesh, but all such attempts were thwarted,” he said, crediting the party’s leadership in the state for ensuring victory.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, however, dismissed the allegations and targeted the Congress over internal discord that led to cross-voting. “This was a very interesting election. The Congress did not trust its own MLAs and shifted them to Himachal Pradesh, moving them from place to place. Even their senior leaders became polling agents,” Saini said.

He also criticised the INLD for abstaining from the vote, claiming the move indirectly benefited the Congress. “If the INLD did not want to support the BJP, it could have backed the Independent candidate. By abstaining, it helped the Congress and acted as its ‘B team’,” the Chief Minister said.

Contest Took Unexpected Turn

While political observers had expected the BJP and Congress to secure one seat each based on their respective strengths in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the contest became unpredictable after Satish Nandal filed his nomination as an Independent candidate at the last moment.

Nandal secured the required 10 proposers with support from seven BJP MLAs and three Independent legislators, adding a new dimension to the contest. To prevent possible poaching, the Congress had moved its 31 MLAs to a resort in Himachal Pradesh, first to Shimla and later to Kasauli, before bringing them to Chandigarh ahead of voting.

Voting Numbers

• Total Assembly strength: 90

• INLD abstentions: 2

• Votes cast: 88

After invalid votes:

• Congress candidate Karamvir Boudh: 28 votes

• BJP candidate Sanjay Bhatia: 28 votes

• Independent Satish Nandal (BJP-backed): 27 votes

The Congress said five of its MLAs cross-voted, while four of its votes were declared invalid, significantly affecting the contest’s outcome.