With 81 members in the Jharkhand Assembly, a candidate requires 28 votes to secure election to the Rajya Sabha. The ruling alliance appears to have the numbers on paper. JMM has 34 MLAs, Congress 16, RJD four and CPI(ML) two, taking the alliance tally to 56 – exactly the number needed to win both seats.
Also read: EC announces Rajya Sabha polls for 24 seats on June 18
The BJP, meanwhile, has 21 MLAs, while AJSU, JD(U) and LJP (Ram Vilas) have one MLA each, taking the NDA tally to 24. Despite lacking the required numbers, the BJP has announced that it will field a candidate for the election.
The move has made JMM and Congress wary of possible horse-trading. JMM has written to the Election Commission, urging it to keep central agencies on alert over any transfer of funds or alleged malpractices during the election process.
Under the seat-sharing arrangement, JMM will field a candidate for one seat, while Congress has staked claim to the other.
June 8 is the last date for filing nominations. Polling, if required, will be held on June 18.
