Ashok Gehlot Criticizes Cross-Voting in Rajya Sabha Elections

Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot criticized Congress MLAs' cross-voting in Rajya Sabha elections across several states. He emphasized the efforts of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in defending democracy. Gehlot called for voting rule changes to prevent such electoral discrepancies and highlighted the unity shown by Congress in past elections.

In a scathing remark, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the cross-voting by Congress MLAs in the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Haryana, Odisha, and Bihar. Gehlot voiced his dismay on social media, calling the incident 'unfortunate and condemnable.'

He praised Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for their unwavering efforts to protect democracy, questioning how MLAs can engage in cross-voting even under a system requiring the display of ballots. Gehlot reminisced about the 2022 Rajya Sabha elections in Rajasthan, where party unity and loyalty led 126 MLAs to support Congress nominees despite having only 102 legislators.

Gehlot suggested amending voting rules to cancel the membership of legislators who vote against their party, arguing that current measures do not effectively prevent alleged horse-trading. He urged for more substantial regulations to maintain electoral integrity within the party lines.

(With inputs from agencies.)