CHANDIGARH: The Congress has suspended five Haryana MLAs from the party’s primary membership with immediate effect for cross-voting in the March 16 Rajya Sabha elections in favour of BJP-backed Independent candidate Satish Nandal.
The action follows the recommendation of the state disciplinary committee and formal approval by All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The legislators are Shalley Chaudhary from Naraingarh, Renu Bala from Sadhaura, Jarnail Singh from Ratia, Mohammad Israil from Hathin, and Mohammad Ilyas from Punahana.
Sources said the party’s state disciplinary committee, headed by Dharampal Malik, recommended the suspension after examining their responses to show-cause notices and remarked that these legislators should be asked to resign from membership.
While three MLAs, Shalley Chaudhary, Renu Bala, and Jarnail Singh, submitted replies to the show-cause notices issued to them for alleged cross-voting, Mohammad Ilyas and Mohammad Israil did not respond.
Both Renu Bala and Shalley Chaudhary denied the allegations, stating that they had voted for the party’s official candidate and were being unfairly implicated.
Jarnail Singh also denied the allegations of cross-voting. All three MLAs stated that they had shown their ballots to Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who had been authorised by the party to verify the votes, sources said.
Terming it a case of “serious indiscipline”, Haryana Congress president Rao Narender Singh said that these MLAs have been suspended for anti-party activities as they voted against the party’s official candidate Karamvir Singh Boudh.
“The report of the Disciplinary Action Committee has been accepted,” he said, adding that the decision sends a clear message that collective party stands are paramount.
In the 90-member Assembly, the ruling BJP has 48 MLAs, while the Congress has 37.
During the elections to the upper house of Parliament, three Independent legislators backed Nandal, while two INLD MLAs abstained.
