Rift widens in ruling INDIA bloc after Cong nominee’s defeat in RS polls: BJP
The saffron party also claimed that the INDIA bloc was working on a single common minimum program of “loot and corruption”.
Amid cross-polling, NDA-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani won one of the two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand by defeating Congress’ Pranav Jha on Thursday. Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Baidyanath Ram was elected to the other seat.
The BJP-led NDA has 24 MLAs; This is four short of the minimum 28 first preference votes required in the 81-member house for a seat in the Rajya Sabha. INDIA bloc, which includes JMM and Congress, has 56 members in the House of Representatives.
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Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said, “The poll results have revealed the ruling alliance. While the Congress accused the RJD and CPI(ML)Liberation of betrayal, the RJD called the Jharkhand Congress in charge ‘Bikau’ (exhausted). The entire alliance is working on one common minimum program of plunder and corruption.” he said.
Jharkhand Congress supremo K Raju accused Rashtriya Janata Dal and CPI (ML) Liberation of “betrayal”. In response, RJD claimed that the Congress should introspect before pointing fingers at others, while CPI(ML)Liberation condemned the accusations. While RJD and CPI(ML)Liberation were being maligned, Congress failed to get the votes of its MLAs in the elections, Jharkhand RJD minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav told reporters here on Friday.
“In the last Bihar Rajya Sabha polls, Congress MPs were caught red-handed while voting for the BJP. Now they are making allegations of treason. This is not in RJD’s blood,” Jharkhand RJD minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav said while talking to reporters here on Friday.
Nathwani got 28 votes while Jha got 20 votes. While Ram received 30 votes in the election, three votes – two from the BJP and one from the Congress – were declared invalid.
RJD national general secretary Bhola Prasad Yadav said: “I condemn the accusation of Jharkhand Congress in-charge K Raju and suggest the party to introspect. I was the voting representative of the party. After the voting, I assured our party high command and the Jharkhand chief minister that all four RJD votes were voted in favor of the Congress candidate.
In a press conference held here, Yadav claimed that the false claim was made to hide the party’s wrongdoings.
He said Congress needs to introspect or prepare for future consequences.
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CPI (ML) Liberation state secretary Manoj Bhakt claimed that two MLAs of the party cast their votes in favor of the INDIA bloc candidate.
“It is the Congress that cannot govern its legislators. The Congress has a history of selling itself out,” he alleged.
The 56 members of the India bloc include 34 from JMM, 16 from Congress, four from RJD and two from CPI(ML)Liberation.
NDA’s 24 MLAs include 21 from BJP and one each from LJP (Ram Vilas), AJSU Party and JD(U). Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha has one MLA.
