Cong to approach EC tomorrow over Rajya Sabha polls in Haryana

New Delhi: Congress will approach the Election Commission on Monday to protest against the "misuse of government machinery" in the Rajya Sabha elections for two seats in Haryana on Saturday which led to independent candidate RK Anand, backed by the party, losing the poll.

Party general secretary BK Hariprasad said they will approach the Election Commission on Monday.

Read: RS polls: Ex-Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleges BJP conspiracy

Asked whether the party suspected internal sabotage in the elections including by former chief minister BS Hooda, he replied in negative. Hariprasad alleged that there was deliberate fraud in the election by switching the pen meant for marking the votes so as to make the Congress votes invalid.

The votes of 14 Congress MLAs were declared invalid leading to the loss of Anand who was otherwise expected to win.

Read: RS polls: Rebellion hits Congress in Haryana, R K Anand loses

On his part, Hooda said there has been a "big conspiracy" and the truth should come out.

"A probe by the Election Commission should be sought. This truth will come out in 24 hours," he said in Chandigarh.

Read: RS elections: Lalu Yadav slams BJP, says polls 'mockery of democracy'

Hariprasad had on Saturday said that prima facie he saw a conspiracy from the government's side and said the party will find out the truth. "We will fight it politically and legally," he had said.

The defeat of Anand came as a bolt from the blue for the Congress and its high command, which was confident that its strategy to trounce BJP-backed media baron and independent candidate Subhash Chandra would succeed.

On Friday, the Congress Legislature Party at its meeting had authorised party chief Sonia Gandhi to decide on who to vote for and she had directed voting in favour of Anand.

Hooda was not initially in favour of Anand as he was backed by INLD, the rival party in Haryana.