Poll had become BJP vs rest: Chandra after win

Pulling off a dramatic win to bag the second Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana falling vacant in August, media baron Subhash Chandra tonight said these biennial polls had become BJP versus the rest affair.
Chandra defeated INLD and Congress backed-Independent candidate R K Anand after 14 votes allegedly of the Congress were rejected, state Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma told media here.
Union Minister and BJP leader Birender Singh comfortably won the other seat which also falls vacant in August.
Chandra said he got a vote value of 2950 votes after Singh's second preference votes were also transferred in his favour.

"These elections had become BJP versus the rest of all," Chandra told a press conference after his win.
He was commenting on both Congress and INLD backing Anand.

"I fought as an Independent candidate. I got backing from the BJP. I thank them from the core of my heart," Chandra said.
He said Congress, which until yesterday had not made its stand clear, suddenly decided to back Anand.
"We will know the reasons in days to come how these two parties -- the Congress and INLD, which do not see eye to eye, suddenly decided to join hands," Chandra said.

He said while he was always sure of his victory right from the start, but some had started saying that he would lose after Congress' decision to back Anand.
Chandra said as an Independent candidate he reached out to 76 MLAs cutting across parties in the 90-member Assembly seeking their support.
"I thank all the 90 MLAs of Haryana. I thank the people of Haryana. I want to assure them that I will work hard to take our state and nation forward," he said.
To a question, Chandra said some people had thought he would win on the basis of money power, but he clarified he had not spent a penny on the elections.

"This was a wrong perception, which has been proved wrong," he said.