NDA-backed Independent Parimal Nathwani wins Jharkhand Rajya Sabha seat

National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani won one of the two Jharkhand Rajya Sabha seats in a closely contested election that saw rival camps lock horns as the outcome remained open-ended.

In the polls that witnessed cross-voting, Nathwani polled 28 votes, comfortably bypassing Congress's Pranav, who bagged 20 votes.

The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Baidyanath Ram was elected to the other seat.

Ram received 30 votes in the election, while three votes, two from the BJP and one from the Congress, were found invalid, the official told news agency PTI.

Congress minister Deepika Pandey reacting to the results, said that "dhoka hua" (Betrayed).

BJP's Koderma MLA Neera Yadav, on the contrary said: "Jai Shree Ram, ho gaya kaam".

The BJP-led NDA with 24 MLAs, was four short of the minimum of 28 first-preference votes required in the 81-member assembly to secure a berth in the Upper House of Parliament.

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The ruling INDIA bloc, including the JMM and the Congress, went to polls with 56 members in the assembly.

The ruling INDIA bloc had the exact number of votes needed to win two Rajya Sabha seats, but what should have been an easy election for the NDA's rival bloc turned into a keen contest with the BJP-led NDA deciding to enter the fray through an independent candidate despite not having enough numbers to win a seat on its own.

Congress cries 'betrayal'

Jharkhand Congress in-charge K Raju, who served as the polling agent for the election, blamed alliance partners RJD and CPI(ML) Liberation for the party's defeat.

"RJD and CPI(ML) Liberation betrayed us. They didn’t vote for us, and that’s why we lost. We received JMM’s four votes, and all Congress legislators exercised their franchise in favour of our candidate," Raju told PTI.

When asked whether the outcome could affect the alliance, Raju said he would take up the issue with Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu congratulated Parimal Nathwani on his victory and said legislators had voted according to their conscience.

“Despite our two votes being invalid, Nathwani managed 28 votes. It is a big win. Even members in the India bloc have shown faith in development works being carried out under the leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Sahu said.

Dismissing allegations of horse trading, he maintained that MLAs had exercised their franchise independently and in line with their conscience.

Marandi says Jharkhand to benefit

Leader of opposition Babulal Marandi said voters in Jharkhand, particularly BJP legislators, were mature and understood what was in the larger interest of the state.

“Nathwani has been an MP from Jharkhand for two terms from 2008 to 2020. People have seen his work. He again got the opportunity to serve Jharkhand, and people will get its benefit,” said Marandi, a former chief minister.

Former chief minister and BJP leader Champai Soren also welcomed Nathwani's election and expressed confidence that he would help ensure the benefits of central welfare schemes reached the people of Jharkhand.

Both the ruling and opposition camps left no stone unturned to keep their MLAs intact ahead of the polling.

The NDA MLAs were shifted to a hotel in Ranchi on Tuesday, while the ruling INDIA bloc was busy holding meetings with its MLAs to thwart chances of cross-voting.

The INDIA bloc MLAs, including those from the Congress, had participated in a mock poll during a meeting at chief minister Hemant Soren's residence on Tuesday night to make the new legislators aware of the exercise, but it all ended in vain.

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