New Delhi: A Congress delegation on Friday, approached the Election Commission of India, demanding the rejection of two votes polled during the Rajya Sabha elections in Manipur.
The delegation comprising of KC Venugopal, Ajay Maken, Kapil Sibal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Gaurav Gogoi, and Abhisek Manu Singhvi demanded that the votes of an MLA and the Speaker be rejected, as they had allegedly shown their votes to a third party or unauthorised agents present there .
In the memorandum submitted to the EC, Congress stated, "The Speaker Y. Khemchand Singh displayed his vote unauthorizedly to Indian National Congress representative. On the other hand, Ngamthang Haokip, MLA of INC has shown his vote to the BJP's authorized representative and generally to others present in the room as well."
The party also submitted a video to back its claim.
Congress citied the order, dated August 8, 2017, regarding the rejection of votes for elections to Rajya Sabha.
"The rule is very clear that the elector has to show his ballot paper only to the authorised representative of his party and to no one else. In the case of independent members of the Assembly, he is not to show his ballot paper to anyone at all," the party stated.
Read: Congress stakes claim to form government in Manipur
The order was given by the ECI when Congress leader Ahmed Patel was contesting the election and two votes were declared invalid on the same ground.
Therefore, the party demanded that the EC take immediate action and cancel or reject the votes cast by both the individuals in question and not declare the results of election until then.
The political crisis in Manipur began when the three-year-old alliance government led by BJP in the state was reduced to minority in the Assembly after three BJP MLAs joined hands with Congress and six legislators withdrew their support.
Earlier yesterday, the Congress had staked claim to form the government in Manipur.
Read: Quit BJP-led govt because of treatment meted out: Manipur's Ex-Dy CM Y Joykumar
