JMM Claims Alliance Leaders Control 50 MLAs' Votes in Rajya Sabha Election After Cross-Voting

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya clarified the party's position on cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha election on Monday, asserting that of 81 state MLAs, 50 voted for Congress and JMM candidates. According to Bhattacharya, JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram received 30 votes while Congress candidate Pranav Jha received 20 votes, making Hemant Soren and Rahul Gandhi the leaders of these 50 lawmakers. The remaining 28 MLAs who voted for independent candidate Parimal Nathwani, backed by the BJP, are led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP national president Nitin Navi, the JMM official stated.

Bhattacharya's statement notably omitted RJD leaders Lalu Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, as well as any representatives from the Left Front (CPIM-led alliance), suggesting that neither group's MLAs voted for the Congress candidate. He described the three lawmakers whose votes were invalidated as "thoughtless," and indicated that the ruling coalition has identified which MLAs defected to vote for Nathwani. The JMM general secretary announced plans to review the election results soon, implying further action against the identified defectors.

Beyond the Rajya Sabha matter, Bhattacharya launched a scathing critique of the central government, accusing it of undermining India's democratic and institutional foundations. He specifically targeted the use of the Indian Air Force in conducting the NEET-UG examination, calling it unprecedented and suggesting the practice should extend to other agencies like the ED, CBI, and NIA if the logic were followed. Demanding the resignation of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan for the examination's failure, Bhattacharya raised concerns about student suicides linked to the exam controversy and criticized the drift toward corporate-controlled education, claiming that access to medical degrees now depends on wealth rather than merit.