Wary of cross-voting in RS polls, Cong may take Haryana MLAs to Chhattisgarh

Chandigarh, Jun 2 (PTI) Wary of the possibility of cross-voting during the polling for two Rajya Sabha seats, the Congress is likely to take Haryana MLAs to the party-ruled Chhattisgarh to protect them from poaching.

The Congress summoned all its 31 Haryana legislators to Delhi for a meeting on Thursday and they are likely to be taken to Chhattisgarh, said party sources.

The party legislators arrived at the residence of Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda in Delhi Thursday. However, Adampur legislator Kuldeep Bishnoi did not reach the national capital, the sources said.

With the entry of a third candidate -- Kartikeya Sharma -- as an Independent, the main opposition party in Haryana does not want to leave anything to chance in order to secure one Rajya Sabha seat.

Congress party leader Ajay Maken has filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana.

BJP candidate Krishan Lal Panwar is all set to be elected as a Rajya Sabha member from Haryana.

Kartikeya Sharma, the son of former Congress leader Venod Sharma, owns a media firm.

BJP ally Jannayak Janta Party has already said that its 10 MLAs will support Sharma. The JJP had also expressed hope that Sharma would be able to get the necessary support for his victory.

The Rajya Sabha polling is also being linked to the prestige of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as it will be his first challenge after the party appointed his loyalist Udai Bhan as the state unit chief in place of Kumari Selja.

Though the Congress is confident that its candidate Ajay Maken will not face any problem in his victory, the party sources said that the cross-voting on the polling day could not be ruled out.

For the first seat, the BJP candidate needs the support of 31 candidates and for the second seat, the candidate needs 30 votes. The Congress has 31 MLAs, the number which is enough for ensuring victory for its candidate.

But as Kuldeep Bishnoi has been sulking over not being considered for a party post during the revamp of the state unit, it is going to be a task for the party to keep the flock together.

Bishnoi could not be contacted.

In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the BJP has 40 MLAs while the Congress has 31. The JJP, which is an ally of the BJP, has 10 legislators while the Indian National Lok Dal and Haryana Lokhit Party have one each. There are seven Independents.

Two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana will fall vacant in August with the terms of media baron Subhash Chandra, who was elected as an independent with the BJP's support, and BJP leader Dushyant Gautam expiring.

Polling for two Rajya Sabha seats will be held on June 10.