Jharkhand Politics: BJP-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani won after cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand. Congress suffered a setback and party candidate Pranab Jha had to face defeat. Baidyanath Ram of JMM managed to win. Three candidates were in the fray for two seats. Now JDU has given a big offer to Hemant Soren. NDA’s JDU MLA Saryu Rai said, “Hemant Soren should oust Congress from the government. Run the government with us people. There is a rift in the grand alliance, it will disintegrate any time. Hemant Soren should run the government in Jharkhand without BJP and without Congress. We had hoped that NDA supported independent candidates would win.”
Can a government be formed in Jharkhand without Congress-BJP?
To form the government in Jharkhand which has 81 seats, the support of 41 MLAs is needed. Hemant Soren’s party has 34 MLAs. To form the government without Congress and BJP, they need seven more MLAs. If RJD’s four votes, ML’s two and Saryu Rai’s one vote are added, Hemant Soren will easily form the government.
Conflict started in the Grand Alliance
After the defeat of Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections, discord has started in the Grand Alliance. Jharkhand Congress in-charge K Raju said that the alliance may be affected. We lost because our colleagues did not vote for us. K Raju alleged that RJD and CPI (ML) betrayed the party, due to which Congress candidates lost the elections. Parimal Nathwani won by cross voting, said on the results of Jharkhand Rajya Sabha elections, ‘This is my third…’
How did Congress, which was part of the government, lose?
The number of MLAs in Jharkhand is 81. To win a Rajya Sabha seat, 28 first choice votes were required. The Grand Alliance has a total of 56 MLAs. JMM’s Baidyanath Ram won. After this the Grand Alliance was left with 28 votes. Congress candidate Pravan Jha should have got 28 votes but he got only 20 votes. Whereas NDA had a total of 24 MLAs but despite this they got 28 votes. Three votes were cancelled. Two votes of BJP and one vote of Congress were found invalid. Parimal Nathwani has been elected to Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand for the third time.