Congress' 'Operation Himachal' Secures Narrow Rajya Sabha Victory in Haryana
In a dramatic late-night session, the Haryana Legislative Assembly witnessed a tense vote-count that culminated in Congress candidate Karamvir Singh Boudh being declared the winner of a Rajya Sabha seat. The victory, secured by a razor-thin margin, was the result of a meticulously planned political operation orchestrated by Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, dubbed 'Operation Himachal'.
A Tense Electoral Battle
The election was fraught with disputes from both sides, as the BJP complicated Congress's plans by backing Independent candidate Satish Nandal, banking on cross-voting by Congress MLAs. Despite five Congress MLAs cross-voting and four votes being declared invalid by Returning Officer Pankaj Aggarwal—amid strong protests from the party—the numbers ultimately held for the Congress.
Hooda, determined to avoid past failures such as the 2016 ink controversy that invalidated 12 Congress votes and the 2022 defection of Kuldeep Bishnoi to the BJP, left nothing to chance. He assigned his most trusted lieutenants, Deputy Congress Legislative Party leader Aftab Ahmed and Chief Whip BB Batra, to ensure MLA unity.
The Execution of 'Operation Himachal'
With the Assembly session adjourned from March 10 to March 15, Hooda seized the critical period to keep MLAs together and away from potential inducements. Ahmed and Batra were tasked with shifting Congress MLAs to Himachal Pradesh, after considering and rejecting Karnataka and Telangana due to distance from Chandigarh.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu was contacted to arrange hotels and buses. On March 13, MLAs gathered for lunch at Hooda's residence before being transported to Himachal Pradesh, though only 31 of the 36 MLAs participated, with five staying back citing various reasons.
The operation involved extreme secrecy: MLAs were not informed of the destination hotel, and once in Himachal Pradesh, a vehicle with signal jammers accompanied the convoy. Hooda sent his son Deepender Hooda and three MPs from his camp—Varun Chaudhary, Jai Prakash, and Satpal Brahmachari—to stay with the MLAs, underscoring the election's importance.
Vigilance and Training
During their stay in Kufri, Batra and Ahmed maintained constant surveillance, instructing MLAs to move only in groups and using jammers to prevent poaching attempts. Training sessions were conducted to familiarize MLAs with Rajya Sabha voting procedures. When a snowfall alert was issued, the group was relocated to Kasauli, approximately two hours from Chandigarh.
Final Preparations and Voting Day
On March 16, the MLAs were brought back to Chandigarh for breakfast at Hooda's residence before proceeding to the Vidhan Sabha. Phones were collected before voting to prevent last-minute interference. Hooda personally escorted two MLAs—Chander Mohan and Mohd Ilyas, who had skipped the Himachal trip—to the Assembly in his car.
He also inspected ballot papers and monitored cross-voting. Deepender Hooda remained inside the Assembly until results were declared, while Ahmed and Batra oversaw the counting process.
Narrow Victory and Aftermath
In the final tally, Boudh secured 2,800 votes, BJP candidate Sanjay Bhatia received 2,767.66 votes, and Independent candidate Satish Nandal got 2,732.33 votes, with both Boudh and Bhatia declared elected. Unexpected factors, such as the Indian National Lok Dal's two MLAs abstaining and an invalid vote from the BJP side, aided Congress's win.
Had Boudh lost, the outcome would likely have been viewed as a referendum on Hooda's leadership. Post-victory, Hooda accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the election, stating, "The BJP tried every trick of vote 'chori' (theft), but our MLAs did not fall for it. This is a defeat of vote 'chori'." He also alleged partisan behavior by the Returning Officer.
Aftab Ahmed claimed the BJP used "money and muscle power" to hijack the process, but Congress MLAs stood firm. BB Batra summarized the result with the phrase, "Jo jeeta wahi Sikandar"—the winner takes it all.
