Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs have been moved to Bengaluru ahead of the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections amid fears of cross-voting and horse-trading. The party aims to 'secure' its votes for the crucial polls for the Upper House of Parliament.
MP Congress MLAs Moved to Bengaluru
Ahead of the scheduled Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress MLAs in Madhya Pradesh left for Bengaluru amid concerns of cross-voting, with party leader HC Balakrishna saying that they won't allow others to "steal their votes". The Congress leaders indicated that the decision was taken to ensure the party's votes remain "secure" for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled to be held on June 18.
Speaking to reporters here, Congress MLA Balakrishna said, "Given the Rajya Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh, MLAs are being brought here. We will not allow others to steal our votes. We are securing our votes. We have come here to bring our own party members."
Earlier on Monday, the Congress party hosted a dinner meeting at the residence of Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition (LoP) Umang Singhar. The party leaders indicated that the decision was taken to avoid any threat of horse-trading. Following the meeting, Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar stated that the Congress party was finalising its strategy and was coordinating the process for legislators to cast their votes for the Upper House of Parliament.
Controversy Over Nomination Rejection
Meanwhile, a huge row erupted on Tuesday after Congress candidate Meenakshi Natrajan's Rajya Sabha nomination was rejected. Congress levelled serious allegations against the Election Commission (EC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Natarajan accusing the ruling party of attempting to "trample the Constitution and democracy". She said that there was an attempt to "manipulate" the Rajya Sabha elections.
EC to Meet Congress Delegation
As Congress leaders protested the rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections, the Election Commission (EC) announced that it will meet a party delegation on Wednesday. The Congress leaders called off their protest outside the EC office in Bhopal after Deputy Chief Election Officer (Madhya Pradesh) Sanjay Kumar Shrivastava gave them time to meet the concerned Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
Speaking to ANI, Shrivastava clarified that the meeting could not take place immediately because the CEO was unwell. "We have given a time. We will invite the CEO. He has been unwell today, which is why we haven't been able to talk," he said.
Rajya Sabha Election Details
The Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled for June 18, will see a contest for 24 seats across 10 states. On June 1, the EC issued a notification for biennial elections to the 24 seats. The last date of filing nominations is June 8. The 24 seats include four seats each in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, three seats each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, two seats in Jharkhand, and one seat each in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya. The notification was also issued for the Rajya Sabha bypoll for a seat each in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
From the BJP camp, party national general secretary Tarun Chugh and party leader Rajneesh Agrawal officially filed their nominations from Madhya Pradesh. The filing process took place in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. (ANI)
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