Uncharacteristically quite Rajya Sabha election that is being expected in Jharkhand this time around is looking to heat up a bit. The day when notification for the lone vacant seat for the Upper House made on Monday signifying the start of nomination process, the Opposition parties spearheaded by the Congress are preparing to sharpen whatever arsenals they possess in their kitty.
Talking to The Pioneer on Monday Jharkhand Congress president Sukhdeo Bhagat sounded the bugle with all probability to not let the indirect election go unopposed. “The party is making all efforts to field a united candidate and we will talk to other Opposition parties like JMM and JVM in this regard. There is all possibility that we would give our candidate against the ruling party’s nominee,” said Bhagat.
The party in its endeavour has taken serious strides as well. Its In-charge in the State BK Hariprasad is expected to visit Jharkhand on June 19-20 to finalise things. Top leaders of all the parties outside the BJP- AJSU combine would be consulted ahead of that. The exercise though is not in sync with the arithmetic for securing the seat in the Rajya Sabha which is till July 7, 2016 only, i.e. the tenure of erstwhile MP KD Singh who went on resigning after some time of winning as JMM candidate in 2010.
Moreover political situation in Jharkhand has taken a marked swing since then and the BJP is now enjoying support of 43 MlAs of its own in the House of 82. Taking along the coalition partner AJSU the number guarantees the ruling party’s nominee unbeatable strength of 48. This must be the reason why the JMM, the second largest party in the House with 19 members, is not opening its cards. “We have not discussed the issue within our party and nothing has been decided yet. Any decision would be taken depending on circumstances. Discussion (with other Opposition parties) can take place before the final call,” said party spokesperson Suprio Bhattacharya.
JVM general secretary Pradeep Yadav with two MlAs said his party was undecided whether to support any joint Opposition candidate or abstain from voting that it often does. Even if all these parties come united and vote for the unanimous candidate on July 2 he would not get more than 34 supporters, sans notorious cross voters.
Confident BJP on the other hand is looking calm until the last date for filling nominations, June 22, nears. It is also because the party is not up against any problem of plenty this time. “The matter has not came for discussion as of now as there is lot of time still left. Meeting of party’s election committee of the State would be called before recommending any name to the national committee ahead of final selection,” said spokesperson Pradeep Sinha in order to downplay any urgency regarding the poll for the party.
It is learnt that given the tenure left for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat, demand for the ticket is also not very high and the party is not facing much trouble. “Chances are that any second rung leader of the party from the State or someone from outside the State may be sent to the Rajya Sabha on this curtailed seat,” confided a BJP leader.
Meanwhile no one came forward to purchase the nomination paper on the first day from the Assembly Secretariat. “We have not received any request in this regard on Monday,” said Assembly Secretary Sushil Kumar Singh who is playing Returning Officer for the poll. The Secretariat had last time done provision of giving nomination paper to only those who first show receipt of the security money deposited in order to prevent non-serious players in the beginning itself.