RANCHI: The upcoming biennial Rajya Sabha elections seem to have created fissures in the Congress’s alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), after legislators of the ruling party in Jharkhand on Friday demanded that the party contest both seats going to polls, a day after the Congress announced senior party functionary Pranav Jha as its candidate for one of the two seats.
The development comes a day after the Congress declared seven candidates and the BJP named 11 for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha. Among the Congress’s prominent nominees were Kharge’s media manager for all practical purposes — Pranav Jha — who has been rewarded with a Rajya Sabha ticket from Jharkhand.
However, a day after the Congress’s announcement, chief minister Hemant Soren chaired a meeting of JMM legislators in Ranchi on Friday. “Today, I participated in a meeting in Ranchi with the esteemed ministers and MLAs of JMM regarding the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections,” Soren said.
After the meeting, state minorities welfare and water resources minister Hafizul Hassan told reporters that the JMM would field candidates for both seats. “JMM will finalise the candidates’ names soon,” he said.
Drinking water and sanitation minister Yogendra Yadav, who also attended the meeting, said, “The JMM will field its candidates for both the Rajya Sabha seats. Party workers and leaders have expressed not only their willingness, but also a consensus to field our own candidates in both seats. The party chief will finalise the candidates’ names for both seats.”
The developments assume significance as JMM leaders had earlier indicated that a collective decision on the Rajya Sabha elections would be taken on June 5.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting alongside Jha, Jharkhand Congress in-charge K Raju said they would ensure both candidates of the INDIA bloc win.
“The alliance has the support of 56 legislators in the assembly, which is enough for both candidates to win. The issue was discussed in the PAC meeting, where all of us decided to work with our allies and ensure both candidates win,” Raju said.
Regarding the JMM leaders’ non-committal stance on supporting the Congress nominee and fielding candidates for both seats, Raju said they would meet the chief minister soon to chalk out a future plan of action. The legislative party will meet tonight. After that, we will try to meet the Chief Minister alongwith our MLAs and chalk out a victory plan for both candidates,” Raju added.
The JMM, meanwhile, underlined that it has been “hurt” by the Congress leadership’s unilateral decision to name its candidate and urged party chief Hemant Soren to field candidates for both seats.
“The alliance was led by our chief minister in both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in 2024. People reposed faith on leadership of Hemant Soren. Therefore, even the Rajya Sabha election would be held under his leadership. Today, all party leaders apprised him of the sentiments of the party workers who want party candidates for both seats. We have authorised the president to take all factors into account and decide accordingly,” JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya told reporters after an hour-long meeting of the party’s core committee chaired by Soren.
Resentment brewing in MP unit
The Congress’s nomination of former MP Meenakshi Natarajan for the Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh has prompted reactions from within the party with some party leaders publicly slamming the high command’s choice.
“The party has made a major error in selecting the Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh. The cross-voting remains a serious concern and we have urged caution in candidate selection,” senior Congress leader from Bhopal, Naresh Gyanchandani, posted on X, tagging Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
A senior leader from the Vindhya region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “When other parties chose candidates citing future prospects, Congress repeated a candidate with hardly any vote base. A grassroots leader would have boosted morale.” The leader added that he has written to the Congress high command, seeking a rethink over the decision.
Another Congress leader from Malwa echoed the sentiment, calling the move “suicidal”.
The elections to fill 24 seats that have fallen vacant will be held on June 18. Of the 24 seats, the BJP has 12, the Congress has four, the YSRCP three and the TDP one. The National Democratic Alliance, which is already the biggest coalition in the upper House, is expecting its numbers to increase after this round of elections.
