BJP candidates – Union minister Piyush Goyal and former state minister Anil Bonde, and Dhananjay Mahadik – won the fiercely contested election conducted on Friday.
Tag: Rajya Sabha polls
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Maha Vikas Aghadi 4th candidate losses to BJP candidates in high voltage biennial RS elections
Express News Service
Big set back to Maha Vikas Aghadi in Rajya Sabha elections. Shiv Sena’s second candidate Sanjay Pawar got defeated by BJP candidate Dhananjay Mahadik in the second preference of vote counting on the early morning of Saturday.
Union minister Piyush Goel, BJP leader Dr Anil Bhonde and Dhananjay Mahadik won the Rajya Sabha elections while NCP leader Praful Patel, Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut won the election while Shiv Sena candidate Sanjay Pawar lost it again BJP candidate Dhananjay Mahadik.
In a neck and neck fight, union minister Piyush Goel and Dr Anil Bhonde secured 48 votes while Dhananjay Mahadik got 26 as first preference votes against the winning quota of 41 seats. On the other hand, NCP leader Praful Patel got 43 votes, Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi secured 44 votes, Sanjay Raut got 41 votes and Sanjay Pawar got 33 votes. Mahadik and Sanjay Pawar could not compete the required quota in the first round, therefore, the second preference votes were counted and BJP’s additional first preference votes got transferred to him which helped Mahadik to win the elections in the second round.
BJP was able to get additional 12 votes against its actual numbers. BJP successfully pursued independent MLAs and smaller parties to cast their votes for BJP candidates. Independent was king maker and BJP used them properly.
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Maharashtra RS polls: BJP wins 3 of 6 seats in major setback to ruling Sena-NCP-Cong alliance
By PTI
MUMBAI: In a major setback to Maharashtra’s ruling alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, the BJP on Saturday won three of the six Rajya Sabha seats in the state, even as the ruling combine questioned the eight-hour delay in counting of votes.
The winners include BJP candidates Union minister Piyush Goyal and former state minister Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, NCP’s Praful Patel and Congress’ Imran Pratapgarhi also won the fiercely-fought elections.
The contest was for the sixth seat the BJP had fielded former MP Dhananjay Mahadik and the Shiv Sena candidate was Sanjay Pawar, who lost. Mahadik and Pawar hail from Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.
The high-stake battle for the sixth turned out to be a nail-biting affair with the Congress and BJP trading charges, even approaching the Election Commission.
“Elections are contested not just for the fight, but the victory.bJai Maharashtra,” tweeted BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, whose refusal to have a consensus candidates for the Rajya Sabha led to elections in the state after 23 years.
The counting of votes started after an eight-hour delay amid complaints of cross voting and rules violation by the BJP and the ruling alliance.bBoth BJP and the Shiv Sena approached the Election Commission, alleging cross voting and seeking disqualification of votes.bThe poll panel directed the Rajya Sabha election returning officer of Maharashtra to reject the vote cast by Shiv Sena legislator Suhas Kande, after which the counting of votes got underway.
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Maharashtra RS polls: BJP bags 3 of 6 seats in major setback to ruling Sena-NCP-Cong alliance
By PTI
MUMBAI: In a major setback to Maharashtra’s ruling alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, the BJP on Saturday won three of the six Rajya Sabha seats in the state, even as the ruling combine questioned the eight-hour delay in counting of votes.
The winners include BJP candidates Union minister Piyush Goyal and former state minister Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, NCP’s Praful Patel and Congress’ Imran Pratapgarhi also won the fiercely-fought elections.
The contest was for the sixth seat the BJP had fielded former MP Dhananjay Mahadik and the Shiv Sena candidate was Sanjay Pawar, who lost. Mahadik and Pawar hail from Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.
The high-stake battle for the sixth turned out to be a nail-biting affair with the Congress and BJP trading charges, even approaching the Election Commission.
“Elections are contested not just for the fight, but the victory.bJai Maharashtra,” tweeted BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, whose refusal to have a consensus candidates for the Rajya Sabha led to elections in the state after 23 years.
The counting of votes started after an eight-hour delay amid complaints of cross voting and rules violation by the BJP and the ruling alliance.bBoth BJP and the Shiv Sena approached the Election Commission, alleging cross voting and seeking disqualification of votes.bThe poll panel directed the Rajya Sabha election returning officer of Maharashtra to reject the vote cast by Shiv Sena legislator Suhas Kande, after which the counting of votes got underway.
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Haryana RS polls: BJP’s Krishan Panwar, Independent candidate win, Congress’ Ajay Maken loses
By PTI
CHANDIGARH The BJP’s Krishan Lal Panwar and Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma, backed by the saffron party and its ally JJP, have won the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana, officials said early Saturday, after the counting of votes which was delayed by hours over allegation of violation of rules. Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken did not get enough votes.
According to a senior Election Commission official here, Panwar got 36 votes, while Sharma got 23 first preference votes and six transferred from the BJP, taking his tally to 29. Congress MLA and the party’s authorised polling agent BB Batra said while the party’s Kuldeep Bishnoi cross-voted, the vote of another party MLA was declared invalid.
The counting of votes began past midnight Friday after the Election Commission gave the go-ahead. The counting was held up after the BJP and an Independent candidate backed by it had alleged violation of rules and demanded the votes of two Congress MLAs be declared invalid. Election Commission sources in Delhi said the demand was rejected.
Panwar and Sharma had written to the EC, alleging Congress MLAs Kiran Choudhary and B B Batra showed their ballot papers to unauthorised persons after marking them and that the episodes were recorded by cameras.
The Congress had also approached the Election Commission accusing the BJP of trying to defeat the process of free and fair election and demanded immediate declaration of results.
89 of a total of 90 MLAs in Haryana had cast their votes while Independent MLA Balraj Kundu had abstained from voting.
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Rajya Sabha polls: BJP banks on ‘miracle’, Congress on numbers
By PTI
JAIPUR: As voting got underway for the four Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, the ruling Congress on Friday exuded confidence that it has the numbers to win three seats while the opposition BJP said it expects a “miracle” when the results are announced.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the Congress will comfortably win three out of the four seats. Lashing out at the opposition BJP for fielding Subhash Chandra as an independent candidate despite not having majority, he claimed, Their own MLAs did not like Chandra. The BJP maintained that both its official candidate Ghanshyam Tiwari and independent candidate Chandra will win.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot casts his vote for Rajya Sabha Elections 2022 (Photo | PTI)Before leaving for the assembly building for polling, Gehlot told reporters outside Hotel Leela Palace on the Delhi highway, I am saying again that we are winning three seats comfortably and they (BJP) should take care of their house.
ALSO READ: Media barons appear to have lost steam on eve of crucial Rajya Sabha polls
The way they fielded another candidate, it was not liked by MLAs of their party. There is a reaction in the whole state. Elections were conducted unnecessarily otherwise all four seats — three by us and one by the BJP — would have been won comfortably, he said.
He said the BJP did the same thing during the previous Rajya Sabha elections in 2020 but they were defeated. These people will be defeated again this time, he said.
However, BPL MLA Vasudev Devnani said a “miracle” will happen when the results are announced in the evening. Our claim is still maintained.
You will see a miracle happening when the results are announced, Devnani told reporters in the assembly after casting vote. One candidate needs 41 votes to win.
ALSO READ: Special observers deployed in four states, polling to be videographed
The Congress, with its 108 MLAs, will have 26 surplus votes after winning two seats. It will require 15 votes to win the third seat.
The Congress, which has fielded Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari, claims the support of 126 MLAs, including 108 from the party itself.
Over 120 of the 200 MLAs of the Rajasthan assembly have already voted by 12 noon. Votes are being cast for the 5 candidates for 4 #RajyaSabha seats in Rajasthan.@NewIndianXpress#RajyaSabhaElections
— rajesh asnani (@asnaniraajesh) June 10, 2022
The party needs 123 MLAs to win three seats. The BJP has 71 MLAs in the state Assembly, enough to get one seat in the Rajya Sabha this time. After that, it will be left with 30 surplus votes.The 30 surplus votes of the BJP and three of RLP (total 33) are with Chandra. He is short of eight MLAs to win the seat. Polling started at 9 am and will conclude by 4 pm. Counting of votes will be taken up at 5 pm.
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Major jolt to Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra’s closely fought Rajya Sabha elections
Express News Service
MUMBAI: In the crucial and high voltage biennial elections of Rajya Sabha in Maharashtra, Maha Vikas Aghadi got a major jolt of rejections of voting to NCP minister Nawab Malik and former minister Anik Deshmukh by the Bombay High court. The court refused to grant permission to the NCP duo to cast their vote in the Rajya Sabha elections.
The Bombay High Court said that petition Article 227 is not maintainable and instead asked the NCP duo to file their petition as a bail plea under Section 439 of the CrPC and approach the appropriate bench. Earlier the special court had also denied permission to the NCP duo to cast their votes in the Rajya Sabha elections.
Maharashtra cabinet minister Nawab Malik, who is in prison in a money laundering case, to amend his petition seeking permission to cast vote in the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled to be held today. The plea before the High Court was filed as a writ petition invoking Article 227 of the Constitution and Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to quash the order of the special judge who had refused relief to Malik.
NCP duo had moved the High Court seeking a day’s bail to cast the vote. Subsequently, he dropped the plea for bail and instead asked the Court to allow him to cast vote under police escort and return to prison.
“From the tenor, the petition is for release on bail on bond. The release can only happen with bond under provisions 439, 440 and 441 of CrPC. The petitioner should have moved an appropriate application under 439 and not the present petition. Leave to amend this petition granted,” the Court ordered.
The 50 per cent of elected representatives have cast their votes in Rajya Sabha elections. On Friday morning, only a few MLAs of Maha Vikas Aghadi cast their vote and waited for a court order for Malik and Anil Deshmukh. The reason they had planned the strategy if the NCP duo are rejected the voting rights or permitted. After rejections, a new strategy has been formed by Maha Vikas Aghadi in the voting pattern.
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Mobile internet services suspended in Jaipur tehsil ahead of RS polls
By PTI
JAIPUR: Mobile internet services have been suspended for 12 hours starting 9 pm on Thursday in Jaipur’s Amber tehsil where the Congress and other supporting MLAs are staying ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls.
The divisional commissioner issued the order to suspend the services stating security threat to the protected people staying and moving in the area.
The MLAs are staying at Hotel Leela in the teshil since evening after being shifted from Udaipur.
They will go to the assembly building for the Rajya Sabha elections on Friday morning from this hotel.
Taking a dig at the Congress, BJP state president Satish Poonia tweeted the order saying, “Internet shutdown in Amber due to fear of paper leak.”
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Congress complains to EC over ‘horse-trading’ in Rajya Sabha polls in Rajasthan
Express News Service
JAIPUR: In the latest twist in the Rajya Sabha saga in Rajasthan, the ruling Congress has now complained to the Election Commission of horse trading efforts allegedly being made to ensure win for media baron and BJP-backed Independent candidate Subhash Chandra.
Meanwhile, Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), a former ally of the BJP, announced that its three MLAs will support Subhash Chandra — a decision that has led the AAP to allege that a Rs 40 crore deal was struck to swing these three votes.
In the tussle to win the fourth Rajya Sabha seat in the state, allegations and counter-allegations about horse-trading have intensified. Government Chief Whip and Water Resources Minister Dr Mahesh Joshi on Tuesday complained to the Chief Electoral Officer on the possibility of horse-trading of MLAs.
Joshi said the BJP is promoting horse-trading on the pretext of supporting Subhash Chandra. He remarked: “The BJP is playing a dirty game in Rajasthan from behind the scenes. Money and other inducements are being given to MLAs in Rajya Sabha elections. Due to this, there is a possibility of democracy getting weakened.” Joshi asserted that “The Gehlot government has failed horse-trading conspiracies in the past and will fail them now.”
ALSO READ | Notice to Rajasthan MLA in five-year-old case, BJP links it to Rajya Sabha polls
Politics has also intensified after RLP announced that its three MLAs will vote for Subhash Chandra. This has drawn a sharp reaction from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its state in-charge Vinay Mishra. He termed Hanuman Beniwal as “the seat seller.” Mishra made these charges against Beniwal on Twitter though the AAP has no MLA in Rajasthan and has nothing to lose or gain in these elections. After the Punjab victory, the party is trying to expand its presence in Rajasthan.
Mishra has accused Beniwal of supporting Chandra by taking Rs 40 crore. He tweeted, “If you give me blood, I will give you freedom – Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. You vote for me, I will sell your vote for 40 crores – Netaji Beniwal (Rajya Sabha seat seller)”
This row also led to Congress MLA Divya Maderna hitting out at Beniwal’s party. Terming it an “anti-farmer decision”, Maderna taunted Beniwal’s party by tweeting – “RLP is BJP’s B team. This is an anti-farmer decision. One of the three Congress candidates, Randeep Surjewala, is from the farmers’ class. If they were farmer friendly, they would have decided to vote in their favour.”
Maderna said Beniwal had broken his alliance with the BJP on the pretext of farmer agitation. The BJP has backed the candidature of Subhash Chandra whose channel had termed the agitating farmers “terrorists and Khalistanis”, she further said, adding that extending support to Chandra by his party is “sheer hypocrisy”.
Sensing displeasure of some Congress and Independent MLAs, the BJP had extended its support to Chandra which has made the contest for the fourth Rajya Sabha seat a close one.
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Mallikarjun Kharge, Bhupesh Baghel appointed observers ahead of Rajya Sabha polls
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appointed senior party leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Bhupesh Baghel, as observers.
While Kharge has been made the observer for Maharashtra, Baghel and Rajeev Shukla have been made observers for Haryana, and Pawan Kumar Bansal and T S Singh Deo for Rajasthan.
The Congress is seeking to ensure that its candidates win the Rajya Sabha (RS) elections in Haryana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, while the BJP has put its weight behind independent candidates in Haryana and Rajasthan.
AICC general secretary Ajay Maken is the Congress candidate from Haryana, where two seats have fallen vacant.
The Congress and the BJP are likely to get one seat each, but the BJP has backed media baron Kartikeya Sharma as an independent.
Sharma is the son of Venod Sharma and son-in-law of former Haryana Speaker Kuldeep Sharma.
Both are considered close to former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Congress needs 31 votes to win the seat and has as many MLAs.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is banking on cross-voting.
For the four Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, the Congress has fielded three candidates — Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari.
While Congress is sure to get two seats, it needs 15 more votes to win the third seat of Tiwari.
The BJP has fielded its former minister Ghanshyam Tiwari, and backed media baron Subhash Chandra as an independent for the second seat.
In Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena and the BJP will battle it out for the sixth seat of Rajya Sabha as none of the seven candidates in the fray — four of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and three of the BJP — withdrew their nominations on Friday.
The Congress has also fielded another candidate Mansoor Ali Khan in Karnataka, where the election will be held on June 10 for four seats.
Jairam Ramesh is the other Congress candidate.
The Congress is expecting three seats in Rajasthan and the BJP is expecting one of its own and is supporting an independent and Subhash Chandra for the fourth seat.
Meanwhile, nearly 70 Congress MLAs from Rajasthan are camping at a hotel in Udaipur ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections to the four seats in which the party fears horse-trading by the opposition BJP, party sources said.
The Congress, with its 108 MLAs in the state assembly, is set to win two seats.
After winning the two seats, the party will have 26 surplus votes, 15 short of the required 41 to win the third seat.
On the other hand, the BJP has 71 MLAs in the state assembly and is set to win one seat after which it will be left with 30 surplus votes.
The Congress has also shifted its MLAs in Haryana to a resort in Raipur in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh.
Of the 57 vacancies in Rajya Sabha, 41 candidates in 11 states have so far been elected unopposed.
The elections will be held for 16 seats in four states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana and Karnataka.