Chandigarh: After identifying Jarnail Singh, the MLA from Ratia (reserve) assembly constituency, as the fifth person involved in cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha elections held on Monday, the Congress disciplinary committee on Friday issued show-cause notices to all the five legislators for anti-party activities.For the last three days, there was suspense on the name of the fifth MLA who cross-voted against the party candidate, Karamveer Singh Baudh. Of the total five MLAs, two women legislators are said to be close confidants of former Union minister and Sirsa MP Selja, while the rest three are said to be Bhupinder Hooda loyalists.Reacting to the development, AICC general secretary in charge B K Hariparsad said the party had already written to the Election Commission of India as the votes were declared invalid as part of a larger conspiracy. However, the action against five defaulter MLAs shall continue, claimed Jitender Baghel, AICC co-in charge for Haryana.Interestingly, despite being put on notice by the disciplinary committee, the five Congress MLAs continue to enjoy the immunity of not getting dismembered on account of the anti-defection rule. In case of action by the party, they will continue to be members of the assembly. However, they will get a separate identity as dissociate members, confirmed the experts in the legislative assembly.Notably, five MLAs are alleged to have cross-voted against the party’s official candidate Karamveer Singh Baudh, while the votes of four other MLAs were declared invalid during the elections to the two Haryana seats of Rajya Sabha held earlier this week.Four MLAs put on notice by the party high command include Shalley Chaudhary, wife of former working president of Congress Ram Kishan Gujjar, who represents Naraingarh assembly constituency; Renu Bala, who represents the Sadhaura (reserve) constituency; and Mohammad Illiyas and Mohammad Israel, who represent Punhana and Hathin assembly constituencies, respectively.Karamveer Baudh and Sanjay Bhatia were declared elected as Rajya Sabha MPs for the term of six years each starting from the month of May this year. A total of three candidates were in the fray. Satish Nandal, a BJP-supported independent candidate, was the third candidate in the fray. He missed the target after giving a neck-and-neck fight to Baudh. One invalid vote of a BJP MLA and INLD’s move of refraining from the elections apparently damaged Satish Nandal’s prospects.When reached out, Congress legislature party leader Bhupinder Hooda confirmed having initiated action against five MLAs. “Our disciplinary committee is on the job. So far as invalid votes are concerned, all our 32 votes were in order and BJP had managed to get four declared invalid as part of a conspiracy,” said the former CM.Experts in the assembly affairs reconfirmed that despite facing action by the party, MLAs were safe and could serve the whole remaining term. “Whip is not applicable in Rajya Sabha elections, so are the grounds of sacking membership on the ground of defection. What will happen at the maximum is that in an extreme case, the members can be declared the dissociate members group to continue as part of the House,” said a senior Vidhan Sabha expert. MSID:: 129702386 413 |
