Jharkhand Rajya Sabha Elections: Parties Lodge MLAs in Hotels to Prevent Poaching
Quick Look
- With Jharkhand's Rajya Sabha elections on June 18, political parties are housing their MLAs in hotels to prevent defections.
- The NDA supports an independent candidate, while the INDIA alliance fields its own candidates.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
With Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 18 in Jharkhand, political parties are taking measures to prevent their MLAs from switching sides. Both the NDA and INDIA alliance are housing their lawmakers in hotels.
With the Rajya Sabha elections looming on June 18, political parties in Jharkhand are strategically securing their MLAs. In a bid to stave off potential defections, the NDA and INDIA alliance are stashing their lawmakers away in hotels.
New Delhi: A day before the crucial voting is to take place for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand, both the NDA and INDIA alliance are safeguarding their MLAs from possible poaching by either side. Voting for the two Rajya Sabha seats will take place on Thursday, June 18.
For the two Rajya Sabha seats of the state, JMM has fielded Baidyanath Ram while Congress has fielded Pranav Jha. The NDA is supporting Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani.
Nathwani is staying in a hotel in Ranchi. On Tuesday afternoon, the NDA began shifting its MLAs to the hotel and sources told ET that rooms have been booked for all the MLAs. Some of the MLAs shifted on Tuesday while the remainder will shift on Wednesday morning.
The NDA has organised a special training session for the MLAs on how to cast votes in the election.
The BJP has 21 MLAs, while allies JDU, AJSU and LJP (RV) have one MLA each, taking the total to 24 MLAs, four short of the required number of 28 for victory in a Rajya Sabha seat.
On the other hand, JMM has 34 MLAs, Congress has 16, RJD has four and CPI (M) has two MLAs, taking the total to 56 MLAs, the exact number required to win two seats.
The BJP is claiming victory for Nathwani.
"All the NDA MLAs are intact. As for the additional four votes, some INDIA bloc MLAs are going to support him based on his previous work as a Rajya Sabha MP from the state. We are sure of Nathwani's victory," Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha told ET.
The INDIA alliance MLAs on Tuesday gathered at CM Hemant Soren's residence for a dinner meeting to discuss the alliance strategy for the election.
Apart from CM Hemant Soren and all the MLAs of the alliance, Rajya Sabha candidates Baidyanath Ram and Pranav Jha were also present during the meeting. On Monday, Jha met RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in Patna, seeking his party's support for the Rajya Sabha seat.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
NDA claims victory for independent candidate Parimal Nathwani, citing support from INDIA bloc MLAs.
Speculative · Within days
Open Questions
- Will the NDA secure the additional four votes needed for victory?
- Will any INDIA bloc MLAs defect to support the independent candidate?
