Cross-voting hands NDA-backed Nathwani RS win

NDA-supported independent candidate Parimal Nathwani on Thursday won one of the two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand, amid cross-voting, defeating the Congress’s Pranav Jha, an official said. The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Baidyanath Ram was elected to the other seat. Mizoram’s ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), meanwhile, secured its first-ever representation in the Rajya Sabha as party leader K Laltluangkima won the election from the State.

Nathwani polled 28 votes after which he was declared the winner, the official said. Jha bagged 20 votes. JMM’s Ram received 30 votes in the election, while three votes — two from the BJP and one from the Congress — were found invalid, the official added.

Jharkhand Congress in-charge K Raju, who was also the polling agent for the election, blamed alliance partners the RJD and CPI (ML) Liberation for the defeat.

Asked if the result would have an impact on the alliance, Raju said he would discuss the matter with Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Jharkhand BJP chief Aditya Sahu congratulated Nathwani and said legislators exercised their franchise following their conscience. He rejected allegations of horse trading, asserting that the legislators cast their votes following their conscience.

The BJP-led NDA has 24 MLAs, four short of the minimum of 28 first-preference votes required in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly to secure a berth in the Upper House of Parliament.

The ruling INDIA bloc, including the JMM and the Congress, has 56 members in the House.

In Meghalaya, Laltluangkima secured 26 of the 36 votes polled, defeating Zothansangi Hmar of the Opposition Mizo National Front (MNF), who received all 10 votes cast by her party’s legislators, according to Assembly Secretary and Returning Officer Zothansanga Ralte. Three legislators abstained from voting, including BJP MLAs K Beichhua and K Hrahmo, as well as lone Congress legislator C Ngunlianchunga. In the 40-member Mizoram Assembly, the ZPM holds 27 seats, followed by the MNF with 10, while the BJP and Congress have two and one legislators, respectively.