With the last date for withdrawal of nominations for the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana ending on Monday, candidates from the BJP, Congress and an Independent are now left in the fray for the March 16 elections.
Sanjay Bhatia of the BJP, Congress candidate Karamvir Singh Boudh and Independent nominee Satish Nandal are contesting the election. Two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana are falling vacant. BJP members Kiran Choudhry and Ram Chander Jangra will complete their terms on April 9.
Nandal, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Assembly elections as a BJP candidate, filed his nomination as an Independent on Thursday. He became the third candidate in the contest after Sanjay Bhatia and Karamvir Singh Boudh.
With Nandal entering the race, the Rajya Sabha elections in the state are expected to see an interesting contest. In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the ruling BJP has 48 MLAs while the Congress has 37. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has two MLAs and three legislators are Independents. A candidate requires 31 votes to get elected to the Rajya Sabha.
The Congress, with 37 members in the Assembly, has enough numbers to ensure the victory of its candidate. However, the situation could change if cross-voting takes place. Polling will be held on March 16 between 9 am and 4 pm. The counting of votes will begin at 5 pm the same day.
When asked whether he was still associated with the BJP, Nandal told mediapersons that he continues to hold the post of state vice-president in the party.
For victory, Nandal would require 17 second-preference votes from the BJP, along with three votes of Independent MLAs, two votes from the INLD and at least eight votes from Congress legislators.
While filing his nomination papers on Thursday, Nandal was accompanied by Independent MLAs Savitri Jindal, Rajesh Joon and Devender Kadyan. All three MLAs are currently supporting the Nayab Singh Saini government in the state.
When asked whether he was hoping for cross-voting by Congress MLAs, Nandal said he had entered the contest as an Independent and would approach everyone for support.
"I have entered the contest as an Independent and will approach everyone for a vote; the rest is up to them... Fighting an election is everyone's right and I am fighting this election under that constitutional right,” he said.
Meanwhile, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh said the party was confident of winning its seat. “We will win our seat comfortably. We have more than the required vote strength,” he said.
Nandal had earlier contested the 2019 Assembly election from the Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi constituency in Rohtak district, but lost to Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Before joining the BJP, he had also been associated with the INLD.
BJP candidate Sanjay Bhatia (58) is a former Lok Sabha MP from Karnal and is considered close to Union minister, and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Congress nominee Karamvir Singh Boudh is a retired Haryana government employee and a Dalit activist, who has been raising issues related to the community on various platforms.
Currently serving as the coordinator of the National Scheduled Castes Department of the Congress, Boudh is believed to be the choice of party leader Rahul Gandhi. The INLD, which has two MLAs in the Assembly, is yet to decide which candidate it will support in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.
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