Ranchi, June 18 (IANS) In a major political upset triggered by cross-voting within the ruling alliance in Jharkhand, NDA-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani on Thursday secured a surprise victory in the Rajya Sabha elections from the state.

Nathwani defeated Congress nominee Pranav Jha despite the INDIA bloc enjoying a comfortable majority in the Assembly.

While the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) successfully ensured the election of its candidate Baidyanath Ram, the Congress suffered an unexpected setback as its candidate failed to garner sufficient support from alliance partners, resulting in the NDA winning one of the state’s two Rajya Sabha seats.

According to the final tally, Ram secured 30 valid votes and was comfortably elected. Nathwani polled 28 votes, crossing the winning mark despite the BJP-led NDA having only 24 MLAs in the 81-member Assembly. Congress candidate Pranav Jha managed to secure only 20 votes.

The counting process also witnessed invalid votes. Three ballots were declared invalid — two cast in favour of Nathwani and one in favour of the Congress candidate. Despite the cancellations, Nathwani maintained a decisive lead over Jha and was declared elected.

The result came as a major embarrassment for the INDIA bloc, which commands 56 members in the Assembly and, on paper, had enough strength to win both Rajya Sabha seats.

The NDA, with 24 legislators, was four votes short of the 28 first-preference votes required to secure a seat, making Nathwani’s victory possible only through cross-voting and support from legislators outside the BJP-led alliance.

Soon after the result, Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju alleged that MLAs of alliance partners Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the CPI-ML did not support the Congress nominee. The RJD has four MLAs, and the CPI-ML has two members in the Assembly.

The election had generated intense political interest in the state, with both the ruling coalition and the opposition engaging in extensive consultations and strategy meetings in the run-up to polling.

The INDIA bloc had fielded two candidates — JMM’s Baidyanath Ram and Congress’s Jha — banking on its numerical advantage, while Nathwani contested as an Independent with the backing of the NDA.

Voting took place peacefully in the Assembly complex, with all 81 legislators casting their ballots. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, cabinet ministers and leaders from both the treasury and opposition benches participated in the polling process. JMM leader and minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu cast the final vote of the day.

Expressing gratitude after his victory, Nathwani said the mandate carried special significance as Jharkhand was the state from where his parliamentary journey began.

“Deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve a fourth term in the Rajya Sabha. This is my third term from Jharkhand, the land from where my parliamentary journey commenced in 2008. It is a matter of immense pride and humility to return once again to my karmabhoomi,” he said in a post on X.

Thanking the legislators who supported him, Nathwani said he would continue working for the development and aspirations of Jharkhand. “With renewed commitment and sincerity, every effort will continue to advance the interests and aspirations of Jharkhand and its people. Johar Jharkhand,” he added.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey congratulated Nathwani on the victory and termed the result a significant setback for the Mahagathbandhan, noting that the NDA-backed candidate secured 28 votes against the Congress nominee’s 20.

The outcome is being viewed as one of the biggest political surprises in Jharkhand in recent years, exposing cracks within the INDIA bloc and raising questions about coordination among its constituent parties despite their clear numerical advantage in the Assembly.

–IANS

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