NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday accused three MLAs of the ruling coalition MVA in Maharashtra and two of the opposition Congress in Haryana of "compromising and vitiating" the Rajya Sabha poll process in their states by openly displaying ballot papers and urged the Election Commission to cancel their votes.
A BJP delegation, including Union ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Jitendra Singh and Arjun Ram Meghwal, met the EC after the polling process was over to seek a probe into the matter and cancellation of their votes.
In its memorandum to the EC, the BJP noted the commission had stated in the matter involving the election of Congress leader Ahmed Patel in Gujarat in 2017 that the very act of showing the ballot paper to anyone other than the election agent of one's party renders the vote invalid.
The Returning Officer is bound by rules to cancel such vote even if it has been cast in ballot box, it noted.
Naqvi said the party had asked the EC to stop the counting of votes till its enquiry was over.
Legislators from four states -- Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka and Rajasthan -- on Friday voted to elect 16 members to Rajya Sabha with some being ferried from resorts they had been sequestered in amid fears of poaching by rivals.
The high-stakes race to the Upper House acquired urgency with the number of candidates exceeding the seats going to the polls in these four states.
The counting in Maharashtra was delayed on Friday evening after the BJP raised objections to the votes cast by three MLAs of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), alleging violation of rules.
The counting has been held up, a state legislature official said.
"Cabinet ministers Jitendra Awhad, Yashomati Thakur and Sena legislator Suhas Kande violated the model code for voting. We have made an appeal before the Election Commission of India, seeking that their votes be held invalid," said a state BJP leader.
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BJP alleged that Awhad and Thakur handed over their ballots to their REG - RS-COUNTING-DELAY RS counting delays after BJP objects three MVA MLAs Ballots Mumbai, Jun 10 (PTI) The counting for the Rajya Sabha election on Friday has been delayed after the BJP raised an objection over three MLAs of the Mahavikas Aghadi for allegedly violating the code during the voting process.
Party agents instead of only showing them the ballots, while Kande showed his ballot to two different agents.
"Permission is needed from the election commission for the counting. Officials have sent an email to the ECI seeking the permission. It should be granted in some time," said Sena minister Eknath Shinde.
"Counting can not be started until the ECI gives its decision because winning quota can not be determined till the number of valid votes is finalized," said a constitutional expert.
Against six Rajya Sabha seats, the BJP has fielded three candidates, the Shiv Sena two and NCP and Congress one each.