Congress leader Vivek Bansal rules out cross-voting fears, says 'Rajasthan team is united'

The Congress is confident that its sole candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana Ajay Maken will win the key election, AICC in charge of the northern state Vivek Bansal tells Amit Agnihotri in an exclusive interview even as several party MLAs were flown to Raipur ahead of the June 10 poll.

New Delhi:Amid reports that Congress is sending its MLAs to Raipur to avoid cross-voting in Rajya Sabha polls on June 10, Congress leader and AICC in charge of the northern state, Vivek Bansal rubbished these reports and claimed that lawmakers were heading to Raipur to undergo training in voting procedures besides attending Chintan Shivir. He also shared other Congress plans in chit-chat with ETV Bharat.

Q. The Congress MLAs from Haryana are being flown to Raipur just days ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections. What is the reason?

A. See, the Haryana MLAs have been sent to attend a training session that has been organized for them in Raipur for the coming Rajya Sabha poll. Last time, there was some goof-up over the use of wrong ink by some of our MLAs due to which crucial votes were lost. With this in mind, the current MLAs will be trained in the proper procedure for the RS polls. Besides, a mini Chintan Shivir has also been organized for the Haryana lawmakers to discuss ways to implement the decisions taken at the recent Udaipur mega Chintan Shivir. This was scheduled earlier.

Q. A Chintan Shivir for Haryana MLAs being held in Chhattisgarh sounds a bit strange. Isn’t it?

A. Well, it is just a coincidence that a training session for the RS polls and the Chintan Shivir is being held together. There is not much meaning to it. It would provide them with a peaceful environment where state politics can be discussed without any hindrance.

Q. There are reports that Congress is shifting the Haryana MLAs as the party is concerned that they may cross vote in the June 10 RS poll. Your comments?

A. There is no such concern. Our team is united. All our MLAs are together. I am confident that we are racing towards our goal and our candidate will win the Rajya Sabha election. But we have to be alert.

Q. Is there a concern that the BJP is trying to lure the Congress MLAs not only in Haryana but in neighboring Rajasthan as well?

A. The BJP always does that, not only in the RS polls but also in Assembly elections. They are proficient in subverting the Constitution. They don’t follow any morality. They used to talk about probity in politics but they have thrown all such talk out of the window. They have tried such tricks in the past and are doing so in Rajasthan as well. But they will not succeed.

Q. How important is the Haryana RS poll to the party’s future in the state?

A. See, anything that happens in Haryana has an impact on Delhi politics because of the proximity of the state to the national capital. Of course, the RS poll is very important for us. We will do well in the state polls as well.