HC upholds Subhash Chandra’s Haryana RS poll win; dismisses opposing plea

Chandigarh, March 23 (IANS) Dismissing a petition opposing the election of media baron Subhash Chandra to the Rajya Sabha from Haryana, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday upheld the election.

Chandra was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent candidate, backed by Haryana's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), following a controversy over voting in June last year. In the same biennial poll, Union minister Birender Singh was elected to the Rajya Sabha on a BJP ticket.

The high court bench of Justice P.B. Bajanthri dismissed the plea of Supreme Court lawyer R.K. Anand, who had challenged the election, alleging forgery and fabrication during voting.

Anand, who was backed by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the Congress, had sought quashing of the election. He claimed in his petition that the decision of the assembly returning officer declaring some votes "null and void" was wrong.

The returning officer had declared 14 votes of Congress legislators as invalid as a different pen, other than the officially authorised pen, was used in voting.

Chandra was declared elected in the election, amid a blame game by the Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD). While Chandra finally secured 24 votes, Anand got only 15 votes.

Union minister Birender Singh was declared elected by securing 40 votes in the 90-member assembly.

Leader of opposition and INLD leader Abhay Chautala had blamed the Congress legislators of getting their votes rejected during the election.

But Congress legislator Karan Singh Dalal blamed the INLD for Anand's defeat.

The INLD and Congress have 19 and 17 legislators, respectively, in the Haryana Assembly. Had they all voted for Anand, he would have won easily.

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