Congress has accused BJP of 'vote chori' in the Rajya Sabha polls for two seats in Haryana. The party initiated disciplinary action against five MLAs for cross-voting. BJP's Sanjay Bhatia won comfortably, while Congress's Karamvir Singh Boudh secured a narrow victory.
The Haryana Assembly erupted in uproar on March 17, 2026, over the Rajya Sabha election results. Opposition Congress members questioned the polling process, alleging 'murder of democracy.' Congress MLAs raised slogans of 'vote chor, gaddi chhod' and stormed the well of the House. Speaker Harvinder Kalyan adjourned proceedings briefly and named eight MLAs, prompting a Congress walkout. BJP MLAs held up nine fingers, referencing the nine Congress votes lost to cross-voting and invalid ballots. Counting extended past midnight amid allegations of vote secrecy violations. BJP's Sanjay Bhatia (58) won comfortably for the Upper House. Congress's Karamvir Singh Boudh (61) eked out a narrow victory over Independent Satish Nandal, dented by five MLAs cross-voting and four Congress ballots declared invalid. Officials noted five invalid votes—four from Congress and one from BJP. Two Indian National Lok Dal MLAs abstained. Congress general secretary B K Hariprasad stated, 'We will issue show-cause notices to the MLAs. If their explanation satisfies us, it is fine; otherwise, we will take action.' Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda confirmed proceedings against the five, saying, 'The Congress is aware of the five MLAs... Appropriate action will be taken. They betrayed the people who elected them.' One acting Haryana Congress president, Ram Kishan Gujjar—whose wife is an MLA—resigned from party membership. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini defended supporting the Independent, quipping, 'In a democracy, every individual has the right to contest... such claims are completely baseless.' The targeted MLAs include two women, two from Mewat region, and one from Fatehabad.
