NEW DELHI, June 19:
The ruling YSR Congress bagged all the four Rajya Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh and seasoned campaigners like Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Shibu Soren had an easy sailing as the results of the polls to the Upper House were on expected lines but not before some high-voltage drama in Gujarat and Manipur.
Voting was held for 19 seats spread across eight states amid all precautionary measures in view of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to two legislators in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan who were in quarantine turning up in PPE gear.
The BJP won three seats in Gujarat and the Congress emerged victorious in one seat. In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP won two seats and the Congress bagged one seat while in Rajasthan, it was the other way around with the Congress emerging victorius in two. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won one seat in Jharkhand so did the BJP while the candidates of the ruling alliances won in Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram.
Social distancing was followed and entry of the legislators were allowed after thermal screening and wearing of masks. As a precautionary measure, the election commission gave individual pen to the legislators for marking their votes.
With many MLAs switching sides, the past few months have seen parties indulging in ‘resort politics’ to keep their flock together. Several MLAs have been lodged in resorts to stop them from “poaching” by rival factions.
In Manipur, which is witnessing a political crisis following the resignation of nine members of the ruling coalition, BJP candidate and the state’s titular king L Sanajaoba defeated veteran T Mangi Babu of the Congress.
Sanajaoba received 28 votes compared to Babu’s 24, officials said.
The win will be a major boost to the ruling BJP-led coalition in the state which was on a sticky wicket after the rebellion of nine MLAs. Three BJP MLAs of the nine, who have resigned from the primary membership of the party and the post of the legislator, did not cast their votes. Four National People’s Party (NPP) ministers, who had withdrawn their support to the ruling coalition, have, however, exercised their franchise.
Lone Trinamool Congress MLA T Robindro Singh, who also pulled out of the N Biren Singh-led dispensation, also did not cast his vote.
Three Congress defectors — Ksh Biren Singh, S Bira Singh, Surchandra Singh — were not allowed to cast their votes as cases are pending against them.
One recently disqualified MLA was also barred from taking part in the voting process.
BJP candidates Abhay Bharadwaj, Ramilaben Bara and Narhari Amin along with Congress’s Shaktisinh Gohil were declared winners in Gujarat.
The counting was delayed due to objections raised by the Congress which demanded that votes cast by two BJP MLAs be invalidated.
The Election Commission of India rejected the demand, upholding the report given by the election observer.
Former Union Minister Bharatsinh Solanki, a second candidate fielded by the Congress, lost.
Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani said the Congress sought cancellation of votes cast by BJP MLA Kesrisinh Solanki and minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
