Thu, June 18, 2026
Ranchi: In a major political upset, cross-voting within the ruling INDIA bloc helped NDA-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani secure a surprise victory in the Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand on Thursday, dealing a significant blow to the Congress despite the alliance's comfortable majority in the Assembly.
While the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) successfully ensured the election of its nominee Baidyanath Ram, the Congress failed to get enough support for its candidate Pranav Jha, allowing Nathwani to clinch the second Rajya Sabha seat.
According to the final results, Baidyanath Ram was elected with 30 valid votes, while Nathwani secured 28 votes to cross the required winning mark. Congress nominee Pranav Jha managed only 20 votes.
The counting process also saw three votes declared invalid—two cast in favour of Nathwani and one for the Congress candidate. Despite the invalid ballots, Nathwani maintained a comfortable lead over Jha.
The result came as a major embarrassment for the INDIA bloc, which has 56 legislators in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly—more than enough on paper to win both Rajya Sabha seats. In contrast, the BJP-led NDA has only 24 MLAs, four short of the 28 first-preference votes required for victory, making Nathwani's win possible only because of cross-voting and support from outside the alliance.
Soon after the results, Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju alleged that MLAs from alliance partners Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and CPI-ML did not support the Congress nominee. The RJD has four MLAs in the Assembly, while the CPI-ML has two.
The election had generated intense political interest, with both the ruling coalition and the opposition holding a series of strategy meetings before polling. The INDIA bloc fielded two candidates—Baidyanath Ram of the JMM and Congress's Pranav Jha—banking on its numerical strength, while Nathwani contested as an Independent with NDA backing.
Polling was conducted peacefully in the Assembly complex, with all 81 MLAs casting their votes. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, ministers and legislators from both the treasury and opposition benches participated in the election, with JMM minister Sudivya Kumar Sonu casting the final vote.
Expressing gratitude after his victory, Nathwani described the mandate as especially meaningful, saying Jharkhand was the state from where his parliamentary journey began in 2008.
"Being elected to the Rajya Sabha for a fourth term is a matter of immense pride. This is my third term from Jharkhand, my karmabhoomi, and I remain committed to serving the people of the state with sincerity and dedication," he said in a post on X.
Congratulating Nathwani, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey termed the outcome a major setback for the Mahagathbandhan, highlighting that the NDA-backed candidate secured 28 votes against the Congress nominee's 20.
Political observers see the outcome as one of the biggest surprises in Jharkhand politics in recent years, exposing fault lines within the INDIA bloc and raising fresh questions about coordination among its alliance partners despite their clear numerical advantage in the Assembly.
With inputs from IANS
| 14-09-2018 | ||||||
| Sl No. | Parameters | Actual Data(µg/m3) | Standard Limit(µg/m3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PM 10 | 64 | 100 |
| 2 | PM 2.5 | 33 | 60 |
| 3 | SO2 | 55.3 | 80 |
| 4 | NO2 | 58.2 | 80 |
| 14-09-2018 | ||||||
| Station | Temperature(degree centigrade) | Rainfall(mm) | Relative humidity(%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max | Min | Past 24 hrs. | Since 1st March, 2018 | Max | Min | |
| Ranchi | 31.0 | 22.5 | 000.0 | 1010.1 | 95 | 66 |
| Jamshedpur | 34.1 | 26.2 | 000.0 | 1252.8 | 87 | 58 |
| Bokaro | 33.5 | 24.6 | 015.2 | 824.0 | 92 | 79 |
| Daltonganj | 32.6 | 24.9 | 004.2 | 960.9 | 95 | 67 |
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