BJP-backed Independent Parimal Nathwani Wins Rajya Sabha Seat in Jharkhand Amid Cross-Voting

In a closely watched Rajya Sabha election in Jharkhand, BJP-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani secured victory over Congress candidate Pranav Jha for one of the state's two seats, highlighting significant cross-voting from opposition legislators. The election, held on Thursday, saw Nathwani receive 28 first-preference votes, enough to edge out Jha who garnered 20 votes. Meanwhile, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Vaidyanath Ram comfortably won the second seat with 30 votes. The outcome is seen as a setback for Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the INDIA bloc, which holds 56 seats in the 81-member assembly but failed to secure both seats.

Cross-voting played a decisive role, with reports indicating that four opposition legislators voted in favor of Nathwani, giving the BJP-led NDA, which has only 24 members, the additional support needed to cross the quota of 28 first-preference votes. Three votes were declared invalid—two from the NDA and one from Congress—further altering the final tally. The win underscores internal fissures within the opposition camp and has sparked discussions about potential political realignments in the state.

The Congress leadership attributed Jha's defeat to the lack of support from alliance partners, particularly the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left parties. Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju expressed disappointment, stating that these parties did not back the Congress candidate and that four additional Congress votes came from JMM. He remarked, “It is truly unfortunate that the ruling alliance is not united in the state."

Nathwani, who has served three previous terms from Jharkhand, thanked the public, the NDA leadership, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his election. On social media platform X, he wrote, “I am very grateful to have the opportunity to serve as a Rajya Sabha member for a fourth term. This moment is very emotional for me as this will be my third term from Jharkhand; this is the land where my parliamentary journey began in 2008." The election results have intensified scrutiny on the stability of the INDIA coalition in Jharkhand, with opposition parties calling for a review of alliance strategies.