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Before the election to the Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana, Independent candidate RK Anand stated he had the numbers — the Congress and INLD, Om Prakash Chautala’s occasion, formally supported the veteran lawyer. But when the poll field was opened, Anand was shocked. A violet sketch pen was blamed for his debacle. Subhash Chandra, a media baron, emerged victorious as 14 votes of the Congress had been rejected as a result of the MLAs had used the mistaken marker. Anand now says he’ll file an FIR in Chandigarh in opposition to Chandra for what he calls a “criminal” plot to defeat him. Excerpts from an interview:
You say a legal plot defeated you, what’s the “criminal” factor?
One, introduction of a mistaken pen is dishonest. By doing so, you induced Congress MLAs to forged their vote utilizing the mistaken pen. So, Section 420 is relevant right here. Marking the doc with a mistaken pen turned the doc right into a false notice. That is an offense underneath Section 463. Serious offenses have been dedicated, violating sections of the Representation of the People Act.
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Where is the proof that the pen was swapped?
There are movies. Why did 13 MLAs vote with one pen? I can perceive one marking with purple, yellow or blue or a ball pen or ink pen. But how had been all marked with one mistaken pen? Who introduced it there, who eliminated it? We know when the mistaken pen started for use and the way Jaiprakash, Independent MLA, entered the room and the pen was corrected. He used the conventional EC pen. How is it potential? Jai Parkash is near Bhupinder Singh Hooda. I repeat, I do know just one factor —- when the mistaken pen was sneaked in and when it was withdrawn.
But no person can say with authority that pens had been swapped?
Yes, I agree. But the EC will certainly look at the sample of voting. And the sample of rejected poll papers. The EC will discover that Aseem Goel, BJP MLA, remained within the room for too lengthy. He took an unusually very long time to forged his vote. To mark the poll, one wants half a minute. He spent 5 minutes. He was Number 93. After him, from Number 94 (Renuka Bishnoi) to Number 106 (Jagbir Singh Malik), all voted with the mistaken pen and had been marked invalid. At Number 104, Hooda voted however his paper was clean and due to this fact invalid. Suddenly, from 107, the votes had been legitimate. This signifies that somebody modified the pen after 93 after which modified it once more after 107 to permit votes for Subhash Chandra. There was a conspiracy to defeat me and so they needed Chandra elected.
Who was behind it?
The BJP, Aseem Goel, Subhash Chandra and Jai Prakash. It’s a easy story. In the identical room two pens had been discovered. Some poll papers had been rejected for utilizing the mistaken markers and others weren’t. Let the EC discover out who modified the pen, when and why.
What are your choices?
I’ll go to the EC. I’ll file an FIR. Subhash Chandra acquired elected as a result of my votes had been rejected. So, subsequent time if you do not have votes within the RS election, you’ll be able to nonetheless guarantee your victory by plotting in order that the winner’s votes get rejected. It’s a fraud on democracy, a subversion of the election course of.
But Congressmen weren’t precisely able to vote for you within the first place. Why ought to Hooda and his MLAs offer you their votes?
You are proper while you say they weren’t politically with me, however that they had extra issues with the INLD. They presumed I’m a part of the INLD. But I declare that I’m a Congressman from day one. I fought Mrs Indira Gandhi’s case. I used to be with Mrs Gandhi in her case in opposition to Maneka Gandhi. I’ve dealt with Rajiv Gandhi’s case and Soniaji’s case. I used to be a lawyer in PV Narasimha Rao’s instances, too.
In this case you satisfied solely Sonia Gandhi, That does not imply Hooda ought to assist you?
That could also be appropriate. It is between Mrs Gandhi and Haryana leaders to determine… There are Congressmen whose votes have been discovered legitimate. Barring Hooda, all Congressmen voted for me. Their marking was mistaken however they marked appropriately in opposition to my identify.
Why ought to Hooda vote for you and injury his politics in opposition to INLD?
It’s not a query of voting for me or not. The query earlier than the Congress was, who’s their larger enemy? BJP or INLD? At a private stage, who ought to Congressmen select, Subhash Chandra or RK Anand? Subhash Chandra is Subhash Chandra! He is without doubt one of the greatest enemies of the Congress. I’m not in any respect an enemy of the Congress.
In retrospect do you assume it could have been higher if you happen to had cajoled the MLAs whose votes you needed? Instead of Sonia or Rahul Gandhiought to you’ve got gone to Hooda?
I do know Hooda. I’m not unknown to him. I went to see him as nicely.
Did he comply with vote?
I had 18 votes of the INLD. I wanted lower than 12 votes. Even with 10 Congress votes, I might have received. In reality, with each events supporting me, I had extra votes than I wanted. There was no query of me shedding the election. I agree Hooda had not agreed to vote for me. But greater than 10 different Congressmen voted for me. Everybody will not be underneath Hooda. Everybody has their very own profession. Without the excessive command, they might not have been MLAs. The excessive command took the choice to help me. Congressmen voted for me, however their votes had been rejected on technical floor of the marker.
Why did Sonia Gandhi comply with help your candidature?
I satisfied her. I confirmed her my place. I had votes of the INLD. Why enable a free hand to Subhash Chandra, who’s enemy No. 1? He is blasting you in every single place on a regular basis. You should perceive one factor. Chautala was a part of the NDA. It is I who introduced again Chautala to the Congress fold. It’s not a simple activity. For the Congress, I used to be getting two votes of the INLD in Rajya Sabha and two in Lok Sabha, too, if I had received.
In your view, Subhash Chandra’s election to RS and your defeat will not be ultimate?
It needs to be put aside. Changing of pen is a legal offence. Period. He can not get into the Rajya Sabha.
But the EC has restricted powers within the matter. Once he’s declared elected, there may be not a lot the EC or you are able to do.
I agree that the EC’s powers are restricted. But they’ve put aside elections in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for a lot smaller offenses. They have used extraordinary powers. This case is extra obtrusive. It’s a case the place election equipment — poll papers and pen — is misused and abused to get entry into the Rajya Sabha.
What is essentially the most essential proof you’ve got at present?
It speaks for itself. Can all poll papers that had been rejected be marked with one pen until the pen is modified?
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