RANCHI: Voting for the election to two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand commenced on Thursday, with adequate security arrangements in place on the assembly premises, an official confirmed.
Candidates in the Fray
Three candidates are contesting for the two seats: BJP-backed Independent nominee Parimal Nathwani, JMM's Baidyanath Ram, and Pranav Jha of the Congress. The polling began at 9 am at a station set up within the assembly complex and will continue until 4 pm, amid concerns of cross-voting.
Security and Counting
An official stated that all necessary arrangements, including sufficient security, have been made to ensure peaceful polling. The counting of votes is likely to commence at 5 pm.
Political Landscape
The BJP-led NDA holds 24 MLAs, four short of the 28 first-preference votes required in the 81-member assembly to secure a Rajya Sabha seat. In contrast, the ruling INDIA bloc, comprising JMM and Congress, has 56 members. JMM's Baidyanath Ram is expected to win easily, as his party has 34 MLAs. Among other INDIA bloc constituents, the Congress has 16 MLAs, the RJD has 4, and the CPI(ML) Liberation has 2.
Tough Contest for Second Seat
All attention is on the second seat, where a close fight is anticipated between Congress' Jha and NDA-backed Nathwani. The NDA's 24 MLAs include 21 from the BJP and one each from the LJP (Ram Vilas), AJSU Party, and JD(U). The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha has one MLA.
Efforts to Prevent Cross-Voting
Both ruling and opposition camps have been working diligently to keep their MLAs loyal ahead of the polling. NDA MLAs were moved to a hotel in Ranchi on Tuesday, while the INDIA bloc held meetings with its MLAs to prevent cross-voting. During a meeting at Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence on Tuesday night, INDIA bloc MLAs, including those from Congress, participated in a mock poll to familiarize new legislators with the process.
