NDA-backed independent wins Jharkhand Rajya Sabha seat

In a significant political upset, an independent candidate backed by the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a Rajya Sabha seat from Jharkhand on Thursday, June 18, despite the ruling coalition holding a clear majority in the state assembly. Parimal Nathwani’s victory over Congress nominee Pranav Jha was attributed to cross-voting, while the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s (JMM) candidate, Baidyanath Ram, secured the second seat.

The election was held to fill two vacancies created by the death of JMM co-founder Shibu Soren and the completion of BJP member Deepak Prakash’s term. In the 81-member assembly, a candidate required 28 first-preference votes to win. The ruling INDIA bloc, comprising the JMM, Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, holds 56 seats. The opposition NDA, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has 24 legislators.

According to the final tally, Baidyanath Ram received 30 votes. Parimal Nathwani secured 28 votes, surpassing the required threshold. Congress candidate Pranav Jha received 20 votes. Three votes were declared invalid. Nathwani’s victory indicates that at least four legislators...