Locked in a keen contest for the second Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana, media baron Subhash Chandra, who has entered the fray as an Independent with support from ruling BJP, today said he was in touch with individual MLAs and exuded confidence that he will have a comfortable victory.
"I have filed my nomination as an Independent candidate. BJP has already assured its support to me. I am in touch with individual MLAs seeking their support... I am in touch with INLD and Congress MLAs also," Chandra told a press meet here.
Chandra said he has also reached out to Congress as a party and sought its support since no one from the party is in fray.
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"I will emerge victorious, there is no doubt about that," he said.
He claimed two INLD MLAs has approached him and conveyed their support. Chandra, however, refused to name the two legislators.
He also claimed that he has the support of 5 Independent MLAs, one BSP and one SAD member.
Asked if he was counting his luck on cross-voting by some MLAs, he said "I am not saying so. I have appealed to all MLAs, it is up to them what they decide."
Chandra is locked in a keen contest with lawyer R K Anand, who has filed his nomination as Independent backed by opposition INLD, for the second Rajya Sabha seat.
BJP has 47 MLAs in the 90-member Haryana Assembly, INLD 19, Congress 17 (Kuldeep Bishno's 2-member HJC merged with Congress recently), BSP 1, SAD 1 and 5 Independents.
While Union Minister and BJP nominee Birender Singh is certain of his victory from another seat with support of 31 BJP MLAs, Chandra, who will get the support of remaining BJP MLAs, still needs the support of some INLD or Congress MLAs to ensure his win.
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Chandra also claimed that Congress MLAs may "refrain" from voting. He also did not rule out the possibility of Anand withdrawing his candidature.
Congress has not taken a decision on whether it would support any of the two Independent candidates in fray or abstain.
SAD is an ally of Indian National Lok Dal in Haryana but Chandra claimed that he had the support of lone Akali legislator.
Chandra, meanwhile, talked in detail why he wanted to contest the Rajya Sabha elections as an Independent candidate and claimed he had "offers" from several parties.
"I never wanted to enter the Rajya Sabha as a party specific candidate," he said.
On why he chose to fight elections, he said "Parliament is one forum in our democratic set up through which one can help millions of people by identifying their issues, raising their voice and framing laws accordingly".
The biennial elections to the Upper House are scheduled to be held on June 11.
The two seats currently occupied by Union Ministers Birender Singh and Suresh Prabhu are falling vacant in August. Prabhu has been nominated from Andhra Pradesh.
