Cross-Voting Buzz in Jharkhand as Congress Candidate Gets Only 19 Votes in Rajya Sabha Poll
News Desk: The Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand produced one of the biggest political surprises of the season, with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Baidyanath Ram and NDA-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani emerging victorious, while Congress nominee Pranav Jha suffered an unexpected defeat despite the INDIA alliance’s apparent numerical advantage in the Assembly.
While Baidyanath Ram’s victory was widely expected because of the ruling coalition’s strength, the battle for the second seat turned into a high-stakes contest between Congress and Parimal Nathwani. In the end, Nathwani comfortably crossed the finish line, raising questions about possible cross-voting and cracks within the opposition camp.
100 Percent Voting, But Unexpected Outcome
All 81 members of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly cast their votes, resulting in a rare 100 percent voter turnout.
However, the counting process revealed a dramatic twist. Three votes were declared invalid—two from NDA legislators and one from Congress. Of the 78 valid votes counted, Baidyanath Ram secured 30 votes, Parimal Nathwani received 28 votes, while Congress candidate Pranav Jha managed only 20 votes.
The outcome has sparked intense political discussion because the INDIA alliance, on paper, enjoys the support of 56 MLAs in the Assembly. Despite this numerical edge, the Congress candidate failed to even cross the 20-vote mark, fueling speculation about cross-voting and internal dissent within the alliance.
Only Three Seats Went to Polls Nationwide
The Jharkhand contest was among the few Rajya Sabha elections that required actual voting this year. Of the 27 vacant Rajya Sabha seats across the country, candidates had already been elected unopposed in 24 seats.
Polling was held on June 18 for two seats in Jharkhand and one seat in Mizoram. With the election process concluded, the NDA secured 20 seats, while opposition parties won six. The remaining seat went to a regional party outside the two major national blocs.
Mizoram Seat Retained by ZPM
In Mizoram, the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) retained the state’s lone Rajya Sabha seat. ZPM candidate K. Laltluangkima defeated Mizo National Front (MNF) candidate Zothansangi Hmar, securing 26 of the 36 votes cast in the Assembly.
The victory is politically significant because the ZPM is not formally aligned with either the NDA or the INDIA alliance. However, the party’s lone Lok Sabha MP has, on certain occasions, coordinated with the NDA on parliamentary matters. As a result, the Mizoram outcome is being viewed as a win for a regional force that continues to maintain its independent political identity.
Congress Faces Tough Questions
While the national Rajya Sabha elections largely followed expected political arithmetic, Jharkhand stood out for the unexpected collapse of Congress’s numbers. The defeat of Pranav Jha despite the INDIA bloc’s legislative strength is likely to trigger a deeper review within the alliance and intensify debate over political loyalty and coordination ahead of future elections.
For Parimal Nathwani and the NDA, the result represents a significant political victory; for Congress, it leaves behind difficult questions that may continue to resonate well beyond the Rajya Sabha polls.
Notably, the latest round of biennial Rajya Sabha elections covered 24 vacancies across 10 states. The seats were distributed as follows: four seats each in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka; three seats each in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan; two seats in Jharkhand; and one seat each in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram. While most seats were filled unopposed, polling was required only for the two seats in Jharkhand and the lone seat in Mizoram, making these contests the focal point of the 2026 Rajya Sabha elections.
