BJP-backed independent makes dramatic entry in Haryana Rajya Sabha polls

Chandigarh: The election for two seats of Rajya Sabha from Haryana took a dramatic turn on Thursday, with a senior BJP leader from Rohtak filing a nomination as an independent candidate. While the BJP fielded former Karnal MP Sanjay Bhatia, Congress nominated Karamvir Singh Baudh, a former govt employee, as its candidate. Both Bhatia and Baudh were set to secure the RS berth unopposed, as both parties had the requisite first preference votes to ensure their election to the Upper House. However, the entry of a third candidate, Haryana BJP vice-president Satish Nandal, has added spice to the contest. He is also backed by the BJP.Although it appeared difficult for Nandal to get the requisite first preference votes, the saffron party is eyeing cross-voting by Congress legislators. The record of Haryana Rajya Sabha in the past also revealed that Congress lost despite having a clear majority to ensure the victory of its nominee.The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on March 6, and candidates can withdraw their papers until March 9. Polling will be held on March 16 from 9am to 4pm in the committee room of the Haryana vidhan sabha secretariat, if required.Returning officer Pankaj Agarwal confirmed that three nomination papers were received. While Bhatia is considered close to former Haryana CM and union minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Baudh managed to get the Congress nomination due to the blessings of the party high command. A native of Rohtak district of Haryana, Baudh retired from Haryana govt a few years ago from a superintendent's post. His wife is also a govt employee. Baudh's nomination came as a surprise to all, but sources added he was nominated by the party high command to give representation to a member of the scheduled caste community (SC).After filing his nomination papers, the BJP-backed Nandal said he had the support of independent candidates and would talk to INLD and other MLAs to garner the requisite number of votes. "All are my brothers, I will go to everyone," said Nandal, who was earlier with INLD for several years before joining BJP in 2019.The election for the two Rajya Sabha seats was necessitated following the completion of the tenure of BJP MPs, including Ram Chandra Jangra, who was elected in March 2020 for a full term, and Kiran Chaudhary, elected in Aug 2024 byelection.BOXThe numbers in Vidhan SabhaHaryana state assembly has a total of 90 seats. The MLAs include 48 from BJP, 37 from Congress, three independents, and two from INLD.BOXThe mathematicsThe members of RS are elected through the system of proportional representation using the single transferable vote. To win a seat, a candidate should get the required number of votes. MLAs do not vote for each seat, but members give preferences for each candidate. The formula to determine first preference votes is total votes/(seats+1)+1. As there are a total of 90 seats in Haryana, it would be 90/(2+1)+1=31. This means, to secure victory, a candidate would need 31 votes.With this formula, both the Congress and BJP nominee are in a comfortable position to secure an RS berth. However, with a third BJP-backed candidate, he can win only if there is cross-voting by Congress MLAs.