The Election Commission, which is probing into the ‘ink’ controversy surrounding the Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana on Wednesday, deferred the hearing till Saturday.
In absence of BJP backed candidate, media baron Subhash Chandra, who had won the election, the Election Commission postponed the hearing till June 25.
Congress and INlD backed lawyer RK Anand, who lost election to Chandra, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and INlD senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala had appeared before state’s Chief Electoral officer Vijay Singh Dahiya for hearing into the matter on Wednesday.
Following the deferment of the hearing, Congress and INlD alleged that Chandra and BJP led Haryana Government is adopting ‘delaying tactics’.
Talking to the mediapersons, the lawyer RK Anand alleged that Chandra is deliberately trying to delay the entire process of inquiry.
Chautala and Tanwar also alleged that this is an attempt by Chandra and BJP to buy time and they are adopting delaying tactics to save themselves.
last week, Congress, INlD and candidate RK Anand had moved EC, alleging someone had changed the original pen provided by the election officials with another one for a while which resulted in some votes being declared as invalid during Rajya Sabha poll held on June 11 for the two seats from Haryana.
Anand had also lodged a complaint with Chandigarh Police against Chandra, BJP legislator Aseem Goel, independent Jai Parkash and certain officials from the returning officer's office and other “unknown persons” for offences dealing with cheating, forgery, mischief and theft under the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act.
A day before, Anand and Congress had demanded FIR and had also protested against UT Police for not registering a case into the matter.
Meanwhile, the Congress has sought a detailed report into the issue. Tanwar on Wednesday said once the hearing takes place on next date, a detailed report will be submitted to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
About the affidavits sought from MlA, he said Congress had procured affidavits from its MlAs who have stated on oath that they voted for Anand using the pen kept in the state Assembly voting compartment by the EC representative.
When asked if affidavits had been procured from all 15 MlAs including former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Tanwar said, “The party has taken affidavits from all those we were supposed to take.”
Barring one MlA who had openly switched sides and backed Chandra in the June 11 Rajya Sabha polls, main opposition INlD has also procured affidavits from all its remaining 18 legislators in the 90-member Assembly.
During the election, Union Minister and BJP leader Birender Singh had comfortably won a Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana. However, following rejection as invalid of 14 votes polled for two seats, RK Anand lost the poll to Chandra.
While 12 votes were rejected due to usage of a different ink, which was not provided by Vidhan Sabha, one vote was rejected as it was left blank. Congress MlA Randeep Singh Surjewala’s vote was rejected as he showed his vote to another MlA Kiran Chaudhary.