Independent Satish Nandal’s entry clouds Congress prospects, revives memories of 2022 cross-voting shock
CHANDIGARH: The race for the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana has taken a dramatic political turn, with the entry of an independent candidate transforming what was expected to be a routine one-seat-each contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress into a high-stakes battle marked by speculation over cross-voting and shifting political equations.
With the terms of sitting BJP members Kiran Choudhry and Ram Chander Jangra ending on April 9, the state is preparing for the biennial elections scheduled for March 16. While the BJP and Congress had initially appeared comfortably placed to secure one seat each, the surprise candidature of BJP leader from Rohtak Satish Nandal as independent contender on the last day of nominations has altered the political arithmetic and injected fresh uncertainty into the contest. It is learnt that the Nandal’s candidature came after his meeting with top party leaders from the state. The development has added to the concerns of the Congress candidate as the party had previously faced cross voting leading to the successful election of BJP and JJP backed candidate Kartikeya Sharma, defeating the Congress leader Ajay Maken in a highly contested election on 10 June 2022, with two Congress votes controversially declared invalid.
The results sparked immediate allegations of cross-voting and internal sabotage in the Congress and questions were raised over two senior leaders.
Under the single transferable vote system in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, a candidate requires around 31 votes to win a seat. The BJP currently enjoys the support of 48 MLAs, while the Congress has 37 legislators. Besides these, the Assembly also has three independent MLAs and two members from the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), making their support crucial in the event of a contest.
The BJP has nominated former Karnal MP Sanjay Bhatia, a seasoned party organiser and close associate of Union Minister and former Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He shot into national prominence in 2019 when he won the Karnal Lok Sabha seat by a record margin of more than 6.5 lakh votes. In 2024, however, Bhatia stepped aside to allow Khattar to contest from Karnal, a move widely interpreted within the party as an example of discipline and loyalty. His nomination to the Rajya Sabha is being viewed as a reward for his organisational contribution and commitment to the party.
Bhatia filed his nomination papers at the Haryana Assembly complex in the presence of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, state BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli and other senior leaders, reflecting the party’s united backing for his candidature.
On the other hand the Congress has fielded a surprise pick Karamvir Singh Boudh, a retired administrative officer from the Haryana Civil Secretariat and an active Scheduled Caste leader from Ambala.
Boudh, who currently serves as coordinator in the Congress’s National Scheduled Castes Department, has been associated with several grassroots movements and employee organisations. His selection is being viewed as a strategic attempt by the Congress high command to strengthen its outreach among Dalit voters and maintain caste balance in the party’s state leadership.
Boudh filed his nomination accompanied by senior Congress leaders including Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, party general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, and Haryana Congress president Rao Narendra Singh.
Adding intrigue to the contest is the entry of Satish Nandal, a construction businessman and BJP Haryana vice-president, who filed his nomination as an independent candidate.
A Jat leader from Rohtak district’s Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi Assembly segment the political bastion of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda- Nandal has previously contested Assembly elections against Hooda but failed to secure victory.
Nandal submitted his nomination with the backing of three independent MLAs — Savitri Jindal, Devender Kadyan and Rajesh Joon, who are widely believed to be aligned with the ruling BJP.
Though the BJP has officially fielded only Bhatia, political observers believe Nandal’s entry could be part of a broader political strategy to force a contest and test the unity of the Congress legislature party. If all three candidates remain in the fray after the withdrawal deadline on March 9, the election will go to the ballot on March 16.
While the BJP’s strength in the Assembly gives it a comfortable path to secure one seat, Nandal’s candidature could open the door for an attempt to capture the second seat as well, provided cross-voting occurs from the opposition camp. For Nandal to win, he would need support beyond the BJP’s assured votes and independents, requiring at least nine additional votes, which would likely have to come from the Congress camp or other opposition MLAs.
The move has revived memories of past Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana where unexpected cross-voting and internal divisions altered the outcome despite favourable arithmetic.
Political analysts say the BJP’s strategy could be aimed at exploiting internal fault lines within the Congress, particularly between factions led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other senior leaders.
For the Congress, the challenge will be to keep its legislators united and prevent any defection during voting. The party has witnessed unexpected setbacks in past Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana due to internal divisions and cross-voting.
