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Congress Submits Memorandum to Governor Alleging Irregularities in Rajya Sabha Polls

Chandigarh:  The Haryana Congress Legislature Party, led by former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the Governor alleging large-scale irregularities in the recent Rajya Sabha elections for two seats. The party accused the BJP and the Returning Officer of colluding to manipulate the outcome.

Hooda, while addressing the issue, remarked poignantly, “The one chosen to lead us towards light has instead struck a deal with darkness.” The memorandum stated that the 90-member Haryana Assembly comprises 48 BJP MLAs, 37 Congress legislators, two from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and three Independents. A minimum of 31 votes was required to secure a Rajya Sabha seat.

Under normal circumstances, both the BJP and the Congress were expected to win one seat each. However, in a surprise move, the BJP fielded its own vice-president, Satish Nandal, as an Independent candidate, with seven BJP MLAs serving as proposers. The Congress termed this a clear case of political horse-trading, inducement, coercion, institutional pressure, and misuse of government machinery by the ruling party.

The memorandum further alleged that Returning Officer Pankaj Agarwal (IAS) acted in a biased and partisan manner. He reportedly declared valid votes cast by Congress MLAs as invalid, accepted questionable votes in favour of the BJP and the Independent candidate, and deliberately ignored legitimate objections raised by Congress counting agents. The party has also lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission regarding this.

The Congress Legislature Party urged the Governor, as the constitutional custodian of the state, to order a thorough probe into what it termed an unethical and undemocratic episode, direct the government to uphold democratic norms and propriety, and ensure disciplinary action against the Returning Officer. The party warned that the incident not only undermines the dignity of the Haryana Assembly but also raises serious concerns about the credibility of democratic processes in the country. The Governor has assured that the matter will be examined.

Addressing a press conference after submitting the memorandum, MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra said the BJP fielded a third candidate with the sole intention of manipulating the election. Despite being the BJP’s vice-president, Satish Nandal was projected as an Independent, clearly indicating that the second candidate was effectively a BJP nominee. He alleged that the BJP resorted to all possible means—persuasion, inducement, coercion, and division—to secure victory for its second candidate.

MLA Ashok Arora drew a contrast with past precedent, noting that during the Congress government in Haryana, despite having the numbers to attempt similar tactics potentially, the party refrained from fielding an additional candidate against democratic convention. He questioned why the BJP allegedly engineered such a move to block a Dalit candidate from entering the Rajya Sabha.

Citing a specific instance, Arora said MLA Parmveer Singh had cast his vote correctly without any breach of secrecy, and the ballot had already been placed in the box. Yet, his vote was cancelled nearly two hours later—an action he termed completely against established rules. Normally, if secrecy is compromised, the vote is set aside and decided upon after reviewing video evidence, he said, calling the incident a glaring irregularity.

He further alleged that while the BJP raised objections and Independent candidates against certain votes, the Returning Officer had initially declared them valid multiple times. However, during final counting, those same votes were arbitrarily rejected, which he described as an unprecedented manipulation of the electoral process.

Speaking on the state budget, Hooda also criticised the government’s fiscal management, presenting detailed figures to underline the growing debt burden. He claimed that Haryana is now under a total debt of approximately ₹5.56 lakh crore. As per the 2026–27 budget, internal debt stands at ₹3,91,435 crore, small savings at around ₹50,000 crore, public sector liabilities at ₹68,995 crore (as per 2025–26), and additional liabilities—including pending power dues and subsidies—at ₹46,193 crore.

Hooda further argued that the government lacks sufficient revenue for capital expenditure. After debt servicing and committed liabilities, only ₹21,756 crore remains for capital spending, accounting for just 9.7% of the total budget—insufficient for funding new medical colleges, roads, bridges, and other announced projects.

MLA Raghuvir Singh Kadian alleged that the government’s conduct has been undemocratic not only in elections but also within the विधानसभा. He said the Congress was not allowed to raise the Rajya Sabha issue in the House, and even demands for discussions on the SYL canal dispute and the India-US trade deal were rejected.

Kadian pointed out that while the Punjab Assembly held a four-hour discussion on the trade agreement and its implications for farmers and the agricultural economy, the Haryana Assembly avoided any such debate. He questioned why a matter of such importance was not taken up for discussion in Haryana.