High-profile contest on Rajasthan seat
Saubhadra Chatterji, Sachin Saini and
Smriti Kak Ramachandran
NEW DELHI/JAIPUR: Six years after its nominee RK Anand lost a sure seat to media baron Subhash Chandra in a Rajya Sabha election in Haryana, the Congress faces a fresh challenge from the latter in Rajasthan, where 13 Independent lawmakers will decide the fate of a Rajya Sabha seat. Bjp-backed Chandra is in contest against Congressman Pramod Tiwari.
Of the four Rajya Sabha seats going to polls in Rajasthan on June 10, the ruling Congress is certain of winning two and the BJP is sure of one. The fourth is set for a contest between Chandra and Tiwari.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Tuesday, “Don’t know why the BJP has played the game. They did the same 15 years ago but had to announce withdrawal of support because the Independent candidate had no votes.”
Chandra too, sounded confident. “Last time, I was elected to Rajya Sabha from Haryana. This time, I urged the BJP leaders to support my candidature from Rajasthan as originally, I am from Fatehpur in Shekhawati region. I decided to contest after talks with Independent MLAS, and am confident...” he said.
The last time a Congress nominee faced Chandra, the latter won the election amid a controversy after 12 votes cast with markings in the wrong ink (the Election Commission gave a marker with violet ink; this was replaced by a black marker before some of the Congress MLAS voted.)
These 12 votes were of Congress legislators and led to the defeat of Anand. Two more votes were declared invalid as the ballot was unmarked in one and Randeep Singh Surjewala’s vote was rejected as he showed his vote to legislator Kiran Chaudhary.
Political analysts believe Chandra is also banking on resentment in the Congress over nominations to Gandhi family-loyalists.
A senior Congress leader from Rajasthan told HT, “The 13 independent MLAS supporting the Gehlot government have been rewarded heavily and there is no reason why they shouldn’t support a Congress nominee.”
In Rajasthan, a party requires 41 votes to get a candidate elected.
Apart from the Congress and the BJP, there is Hanuman Beniwal’s Rashtriya Lok Tantrik Party with 3 MLAS, Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal with one MLA, and two members each of the Bharatiya Tribal Party and CPI(M).