Haryana RS polls: EC defers hearing as Subhash Chandra fails to show up

Chandigarh: The Election Commission, which is holding an inquiry into the 'ink' row surrounding the Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana held recently, on Wednesday deferred the hearing till Saturday.

While Congress-backed losing candidate RK Anand appeared before Haryana's Chief Electoral Officer, Independent nominee and media baron Subhash Chandra who won with BJP's support, sought more time to appear as he was away after which the matter was put off till June 25.

Congress alleged Chandra and BJP were adopting "delaying tactics". Anand was accompanied by Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala.

"All objections and arguments will be registered on the next day of hearing. This is an attempt by Chandra and BJP to buy time, delaying tactics are being adopted," Tanwar alleged.

Tanwar said once the hearing takes place on next date, he will prepare a detailed report and submit it to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

"After this hearing on June 25, we are going to send a report to Congress President about the entire development which has taken place pertaining to RS elections. Earlier, we had verbally communicated the developments," Tanwar said on Wednesday.

Tanwar also 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's voting compartment by the Election Commission representative.

When asked if affidavits had been procured from all 15 MLAs including former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Tanwar only said, "We have 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.