Ravi Rana's Chalisa book & BJP MLA violative of RS poll norms; scrap the votes: MVA to EC

After Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s complaint to the Election Commission demanding the cancellation of three MVA votes, Maha Vikas Aghadi wrote a counter letter demanding the annulment of two votes of BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar and Independent legislator Ravi Rana.

The MVA claimed that Mungantiwar violated the voting procedure by openly displaying his ballot paper to persons other than his own party agents. The three-party coalition apprised EC that Ravi Rana's vote should be cancelled for openly displaying Hanuman Chalisa and trying to influence votes inside the voting room.

Interestingly, Rana, donning saffron tilak, held pocket-sized Hanuman Chalisa in his hand while interacting with the media. Earlier, Ravi Rana and his MP wife Navneet Rana were arrested by Maharashtra Police after they vowed to chant verses of Hanuman Chalisa outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's residence.

"The objection in the above two cases were filed with the Returning Officer by the Indian National Congress election agent and others. The RO without even considering the facts presented or examining the conduct of election rules 1961, allowed the vote to be cast," the letter said.

It added, "In view of the foregoing, we request the Commission to enquire into the matter and cancel votes that had violed the provisions of election rules as well as Commission's settle views as so ordered in the Ahmed Patel 2017 case."

BJP's complaint to EC

The counting for the Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra was delayed on Friday evening after the BJP raised objections to the votes cast by three MLAs of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), alleging violation of rules.

BJP alleged that NCP's Jitendra Awhad and Congress' Yashomati Thakur handed over their ballots to their party agents instead of only showing them the ballots, while Sena legislator Suhas Kande showed his ballot to two different agents. BJP has urged EC to cancel these three votes.

For six Rajya Sabha seats, the BJP has fielded three candidates, the Shiv Sena fielded two, with NCP and Congress fielding one each.