The Congress party has once again faltered in a crucial numbers game, this time in Jharkhand. Pranav Jha, the Congress nominee for the Rajya Sabha seat in the state, lost to NDA-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani on Thursday, despite having the support of the requisite 28 MLAs needed for victory.
Counting and Results
Returning Officer Ranjeet Kumar stated: "During counting, 78 votes were found valid while three were rejected. Pranav Jha got 20 votes, Baidyanath Ram 30, and Parimal Nathwani 28. Baidyanath Ram of JMM and Independent candidate Nathwani Parimal were declared elected by the Election Commission." The BJP quickly mocked the INDIA bloc, claiming the grand old party had "snatched defeat from the jaws of victory."
The Failed Numbers Game
Voting was held for two Rajya Sabha seats after Nathwani entered the fray backed by the NDA. The INDIA bloc had the support of 56 MLAs, while the BJP-led NDA had only 24. With 28 first-preference votes needed for election, the ruling coalition had the exact number for two seats. JMM candidate Baijnath Ram secured 31 votes and won comfortably, but the Congress nominee managed only 20 votes, losing to Nathwani who secured 30 votes. Later, two of Nathwani’s votes were declared invalid, but he still had 28, proving large-scale cross-voting in favor of the NDA-backed candidate.
Blame Game Among Allies
The defeat triggered immediate accusations within the INDIA bloc. Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju alleged that legislators from the RJD and CPI-ML had "betrayed" the Congress. The RJD has 4 MLAs in the Jharkhand assembly, while CPI-ML has two. However, CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya strongly rejected the charge, stating that the party's two MLAs voted for the Congress nominee as planned. "Two of our senior leaders, Polit Bureau member Haldhar Mahato and Central Committee member Geeta Mandal, duly verified the votes cast by CPI-ML legislators," Dipankar said. He asked Congress to look within and warned that such allegations could harm the unity of the INDIA bloc.
Pattern of Failures: Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, and Now Jharkhand
This setback is the second failure this year for Congress managers in coordinating crucial elections. In March, three Congress MLAs did not vote in Bihar's Rajya Sabha elections, leading to the defeat of the opposition Mahagathbandhan candidate. One RJD MLA also abstained. In 2024, Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi faced a stunning upset in Himachal Pradesh when the BJP, with only 25 MLAs in a 68-member assembly, won the lone seat after six Congress MLAs and three independents cross-voted. Leader of opposition Jairam Thakur then said: "Despite having such a huge majority, the Congress has lost. We have pulled off a victory when our chances seemed very low."
Who Played the Spoilsport?
After Nathwani's win, Congress minister Dipika Pandey Singh said, "The BJP fielded a corporate member as an Independent and won by using money power, promoting horse trading. However, we are happy that all Congress MLAs remained united." While it is unclear which party's MLAs cross-voted, it is evident that some ruling coalition MLAs did. The lack of coordination and anticipation by Congress was apparent. Nathwani's confidence throughout indicated that NDA managers had done their groundwork well, relying on "conscience voting"—a euphemism for cross-voting. Ultimately, they were proven correct. The Congress must ponder why its managers fail in numbers games.
