RANCHI: After cross-voting, allegedly by RJD and CPI(ML) MLAs led to The INDIA alliance loses a crucial seat in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Tuesday hit out at its allies, saying Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi are no longer their leaders.
Coming down heavily on Left and RJD, JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said that both Soren and Rahul Gandhi are the leaders of the 50 MLAs who voted for the alliance candidate.
In the recent RS elections in Jharkhand, BJP-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani retained his seat despite the JMM-led INDI alliance having 56 MPs in the 81-member Assembly.
The BJP-led NDA has 24 MPs, four short of the minimum 28 first preference votes needed to get a seat in the Upper House.
Meanwhile, three votes, two from the BJP and one from the Congress, were declared invalid.
According to JMM, out of a total of 81 MPs, 50 voted for Congress and JMM candidates in the elections. Of these, JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram secured a seat by winning 30 votes, while Congress candidate Pranav Jha got only 20 votes, losing to the BJP-backed candidate.
“So Hemant Soren and Rahul Gandhi are the leaders of these 50 MLAs,” Bhattacharya said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President Nitin Nabin are the leaders of the remaining 28 MLAs whose votes went to the BJP-backed candidate.
Speaking to the media, JMM General Secretary also noted that after his victory, BJP backed candidate Nathwani had expressed his gratitude by specifically mentioning three MPs from the INDIA alliance who voted for him.
The General Secretary of the JMM also indicated — without naming them explicitly — that the MPs of the ruling alliance who voted for Parimal Nathwani had been identified. He also talked about revising the Rajya Sabha election results very soon.
Meanwhile, both RJD and CPI(ML) strongly disputed the allegations, stressing that their legislators stuck to the alliance plan and voted in favor of Congress candidate.
“Regarding the speculations on the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha vote, we can say with full responsibility that our two MLAs voted for the Congress candidate as planned,” CPI (ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said in a post on X.
RJD MLA and minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav also dismissed the allegations, saying, “RJD is not traitorous like Congress and maintains a separate identity.”
He claimed that all four RJD MLAs voted for the Congress candidate. RJD general secretary Bhola Yadav echoed the criticism, saying the Congress should analyze before blaming others.
