Chandigarh, Aug 20, 2024
Hours after resigning from the membership of the Haryana legislative Assembly, four-time legislator and Congress rebel Kiran Choudhry, who joined the BJP along with her daughter Shruti Choudhry in June, was nominated by the party on Tuesday for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Haryana.
The ruling BJP is set to win the seat unopposed as the main opposition Congress has declared that it will not be fielding a candidate.
The Vidhan Sabha Speaker accepted her resignation from the Tosham Assembly constituency, a notification by the Vidhan Sabha Secretariat said.
The Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant with Congress leader Deepender Hooda getting elected to the Lok Sabha from Rohtak constituency on June 4.
The term of this seat ends on April 9, 2026.
Kiran Choudhry, who was elected as MLA of the Congress from Tosham in Bhiwani in 2019, is the daughter-in-law of former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal.
Kiran Choudhry resigned from the primary membership of the Congress, saying the state unit of the party was being run as a “personal fiefdom”, indirectly referring to former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda.
With the last date for filing nomination for the Rajya Sabha bypoll being August 21, the main Opposition Congress has decided not to field any candidate, citing lack of majority in the House of 90.
To win the seat, a candidate requires the support of 44 legislators. At present, the House strength has been reduced to 87.
With the switch of loyalty by Kiran Choudhry, the Congress has 28 MLAs. Three Independents have extended their support to the Congress, increasing its number to 31.
The BJP has 41 legislators. With the support of the Haryana Lokhit Party’s lone legislator, Gopal Kanda, Independent Nayan Pal Rawat their tally reaches 43.
Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) legislators Ram Niwas Surjakhera and Jogi Ram Sihag had supported BJP candidates in the Lok Sabha polls.
If they also extend support to the BJP’s Rajya Sabha candidate, the party’s tally would reach 45.
The Congress has petitioned Speaker Gian Chand Gupta for the disqualification of Kiran Choudhry, while the JJP has sought the disqualification of Surjakhera and Sihag. Both cases are still pending.
As per the election schedule, nominations can be submitted by a candidate or their proposer on any working day till August 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh to the Returning Officer or Assistant Returning Officer.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on August 22 at 10 a.m. The candidates can withdraw their nominations until August 27. If required, voting will take place on September 3.(Agency)
