11 MLAs defy diktat, expose Congress weakness in NDA states

NEW DELHI: Eleven Congress MLAs defied the party diktat in RS elections, once again highlighting how Upper House polls - both at the Centre and in states - have emerged as the party's Achilles' heel when it is in the opposition.

While 5 Congress MLAs voted against the party in Haryana, 3 defied it in Odisha, and 3 in Bihar abstained. Four votes declared invalid in Haryana have been dubbed by Congress as the handiwork of BJP through its "agent returning officer".

The repeated defections in RS and legislative council elections in states where Congress is in the opposition have been a result of either the "influence" of the governing parties led by BJP or factionalism. Congress managed to win the RS election in Haryana after losing two in the past, while its bid to help allies in Bihar and Odisha came a cropper.

Many believe it is a result of the inability of Congress to eject BJP from states, which has resulted in despondency among elected members and has made them easy prey for the governing party. The defiance in Odisha and Bihar is attributed to this reality. However, the factionalism bit seems to have played a role in Haryana, where the cross-voting MLAs in the past went on to join BJP, like Kiran Choudhary and Kuldeep Bishnoi.

Many insiders and state in-charges have expressed helplessness that "money power" is the "carrot" factor that cannot be easily neutralised given that it also comes with the "stick" of the threats from the governing party. They said it makes legislators with business interests particularly vulnerable.

However, strong leadership and state unit are being credited with the party's success in winning in Haryana RS, despite what the party called "the returning officer working as a BJP agent".
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