Ranchi: Senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has called a meeting of all 56 MLAs of the INDIA Bloc in the evening and said the state’s ruling alliance would win both the Rajya Sabha seats.
Congress observers for the upcoming biennial Rajya Sabha polls in Jharkhand, Baghel and Ajay Sharma, met Soren on Sunday and discussed strategies for the upcoming election.
“A detailed discussion was held on both the seats with Chief Minister Hemant Soren, as he is the leader of the ruling alliance here. He called a meeting of all 56 MLAs in the alliance this evening. We will also be present at the meeting. Everything will be clear there,” Baghel told reporters after the meeting.
He also said, “We are going to win both the seats here. The two nominees of the ruling alliance will file their nomination papers on Monday.” The nomination process for the elections commenced on June 1, and the last date for filing the papers is June 18.
The Congress on Friday named senior party functionary Pranav Jha as its candidate for one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from the state.
Baghel and Sharma also met Chief Minister Soren on Saturday, hours after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) nominated former minister Baidyanath Ram as its candidate for the polls.
One of the Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant following the death of JMM co-founder Shibu Soren, while BJP member Deepak Prakash will complete his six-year term on June 21 in the other seat.
To ensure victory, a candidate is required to secure a minimum of 28 first-preference votes.
In the Jharkhand Assembly, the INDIA bloc has 56 members, comprising 34 from the JMM, 16 from the Congress, four from the RJD and two from CPI(ML) Liberation.
The NDA has 24 MLAs — 21 from the BJP and one each from the LJP (Ram Vilas), AJSU Party and JD(U). The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha has one MLA.
