Pradeep Verma, the BJP’s Jharkhand general secretary, will be the party candidate for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections from the state amid silence from the ruling coalition of the JMM-Congress-RJD on their nominee.
Pratul Sahdeo, BJP state spokesperson, disclosed to the media in Ranchi on Saturday afternoon, citing a notification from party national general secretary Arun Singh. The central election committee of the party finalised the candidate on Saturday.
Voting for the two Rajya Sabha seats from
Jharkhand is slated for March 21, with results to be declared the same day. The tenures of the incumbent Rajya Sabha members Dheeraj Sahu (Congress) and Sameer Oraon (BJP) end on May 3.
However, neither the Congress nor the JMM has made any official statement regarding their candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.
“We will present a Jharkhandi candidate, not an outsider, for the Rajya Sabha. It will be a consensus candidate of the ruling coalition partners.
The announcement will follow shortly,” JMM central general secretary and party spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said during a media conference in Ranchi on
Saturday evening.
Responding to the BJP’s candidate, Supriyo said: “He originated from UP and was linked with an educational trust.”
Nevertheless, sources within the JMM revealed that Sarfaraz Ahmed, former Gandey MLA and senior party leader who resigned from his seat in December, is likely to be the party’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat.
“He has procured the nomination papers and will file them shortly. Discussions are underway with Congress, and the announcement will follow soon,” said a JMM official based in Ranchi.
With the number of law-makers in the Jharkhand Assembly, one seat each appears assured for the ruling coalition and the Opposition.
Nominations commenced on March 4 and will conclude on March 11, with the last date for withdrawal of candidature set for March 14.
“The polling will take place between 9am and 4pm on March 21 on the Jharkhand Assembly premises. Vote counting will commence the same day at 5pm,” said a member of the Jharkhand Assembly secretariat.
Efforts to reach Sarfaraz Ahmed via phone remained unanswered.
