Rajya Sabha polls: Jharkhand CM to decide on second candidate, says Min

Jharkhand Minister Yogendra Prasad stated that CM Hemant Soren will decide on the candidate for the second Rajya Sabha seat. JMM has announced its first candidate, with party leaders expressing full faith in the CM's leadership on the matter.

Following a meeting at Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's residence in Ranchi over the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, Jharkhand Minister Yogendra Prasad on Saturday asserted that the decision over the candidate for the second seat from Madhya Pradesh rests with the CM.

Following the discussion, Prasad spoke to reporters about the process, stating, "We have acted as proposers for the party's officially declared candidate. We have signed the nomination papers as proposers. Discussions have taken place, and the future strategy will be determined. The candidate for the first seat has already been announced." When asked about the negotiations with Congress over a second seat, he added, "That will also become clear by tomorrow."

JMM Leaders Back CM's Authority

Jharkhand Minister Hafizul Hasan Ansari asserted the party has placed full confidence in the Chief Minister to lead the decision-making process, stating, "Regarding the meeting we held yesterday, we had authorised the CM to announce the candidate. Today, he announced the first candidate in our presence. We have also authorised him regarding the second seat; whatever decision he takes next, we will all accept it."

JMM MP Mahua Maji highlighted the significance of the chosen candidate, Baidyanath Ram, noting that it represents a breakthrough for his region, stating that the second seat might be announced after dialogue with the coalition parties. "The outcome was that everyone was happy with this decision... We met today regarding the decision on our announced candidate (for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections), Baidyanath Ram... I don't think anyone from the Palamu region has ever gone to the Rajya Sabha from any party before, so the Chief Minister has taken a significant initiative...Yes, only one seat was discussed. Regarding the second seat, a decision might be reached after holding meetings with the other party (in coalition)"

Congress Observers Arrive

Earlier, All India Congress Committee (AICC) observers Bhupesh Baghel and Ajay Sharma arrived in Ranchi on Saturday ahead of the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand. Ahead of their arrival, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) announced its candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat, signalling a possible reduction in tensions between the JMM and Congress.

Election Commission Schedule

Earlier, on June 3, the Election Commission issued a notification for biennial elections to 24 Rajya Sabha seats from ten states. This includes four seats each in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, three seats each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, two seats in Jharkhand, and one seat each in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya. The filing of nominations has begun, and the last date is June 8. Notification was also issued for the Rajya Sabha bypoll for a seat each in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.

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