Jharkhand Congress Considers Moving MLAs To Ranchi Hotel Before Key Rajya Sabha Vote
Party considers relocating legislators ahead of crucial Rajya Sabha election.
The Congress is likely to move its MLAs to a hotel in Ranchi on Wednesday, a day ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand, as political parties intensify efforts to ensure coordination and prevent any last-minute surprises during voting. The move would mirror a similar step taken by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which shifted its legislators to a hotel on Tuesday.
The ruling INDIA bloc, which includes the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and CPI(ML) Liberation, is scheduled to hold a meeting at Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence on Wednesday evening to finalize its strategy for the June 18 elections. Congress MLA Pradip Yadav confirmed that alliance legislators would meet to discuss the voting process and ensure coordination among members.
While Congress sources indicated that party MLAs could be shifted to a hotel in the state capital, Congress media in-charge Rakesh Sinha denied any formal relocation plan. He stated that legislators would only visit a hotel where All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers are staying and expressed confidence in the alliance’s numerical strength. According to Sinha, the party does not anticipate any difficulty in securing victory.
Also Read: NDA Shifts MLAs To Ranchi Hotel Ahead Of Two Rajya Sabha Seats Election
Three candidates are contesting the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand. The JMM has fielded Baidyanath Ram, Congress has nominated Pranav Jha, and the BJP is backing Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani. Each candidate requires at least 28 first-preference votes to secure election. In the 81-member Assembly, the INDIA bloc holds 56 legislators, while the NDA has 24 MLAs.
Ahead of the polls, the ruling alliance conducted a mock voting exercise to familiarize MLAs with the ballot process. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore said the exercise saw JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram receiving 29 votes and Congress nominee Pranav Jha securing 27 votes. The NDA, meanwhile, has already housed its legislators together as part of its election preparations.
The election has gained significance as one Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant following the death of JMM founder Shibu Soren, while the second vacancy arose after BJP member Deepak Prakash completed his term. With both alliances closely monitoring their legislators, the contest is expected to test political discipline and coalition management despite the INDIA bloc’s apparent numerical advantage.
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