• Source:JND

Jharkhand Rajya Sabha Elections: Congress is certainly staking a claim to one seat, but the party doesn't seem to be making any effort to secure votes. Elections are to be held for two seats in Jharkhand, and if everyone works together in the ruling alliance, both seats are likely to fall into their kitty.

Congress Depends On Allies

JMM has a claim to one seat, and Congress is staking the other, but unless JMM supports this claim, the outcome is unlikely to succeed. The reason is that JMM, RJD, and the Left parties are not in Congress's favour. They are partners in the alliance, yet their terms are not so friendly in the state. Congress dealt a blow to JMM during the recent Assam elections, after which talks of support from JMM have ceased. Congress cannot even reach the magic number on its own.

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Forget about the support of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, RJD, and Left parties; Congress is not even confident about its own MLAs in the Rajya Sabha elections. This is why senior party leaders believe that no Congress leader can garner the magic number.

Congress May Go With A Weak Candidate

This is also the reason why no candidate has been finalised yet. Another possibility is that the party, like last time, fields a weak candidate. Failure to do so would risk losing its bid and causing a split in the Grand Alliance. Key Congress contenders have withdrawn their candidacies. According to party leaders, former MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu has withdrawn his candidacy, citing a pending case against him. On the other hand, former MPs Subodhkant Sahay and Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu are also being considered for candidacy. The names of several leaders, including former state president Rajesh Thakur, are also being discussed.

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How Numbers At Play

Furthermore, to win the Rajya Sabha elections, a candidate needs 27 first-preference votes. The JMM can achieve this number on its own, but for the second seat, it will need the support of Congress, while the grand old party will need the support of Chief Minister Hemant Soren's party.

As Per Election Results 2024:

  • JMM: 34 Seats
  • Congress: 16 Seats
  • RJD: 4 Seats
  • CPI(ML)L: 2 Seats

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