The Congress, which is a part of the JMM-led UPA government in Jharkhand, hinted about its intention to stake claim for one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from the state.

Jharkhand rural development minister Alamgir Alam said that the party’s general secretary-in-charge Avinash Pande would hold talks with CM Hemant Soren in this regard soon.

“Our party will apprise the chief minister that JMM supremo and respected tribal leader Shibu Soren was sent to the Upper House in the last election. In this election, the Congress candidate should get an opportunity to be sent to the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand.

“On the basis of numerical strength, the Congress alone cannot win the elections, but the alliance has enough numbers, so that a Rajya Sabha seat can come to the alliance’s account,” said Alam.

The senior Congress leader further said that if Congress candidates go to the Upper House, then the party would be strong at the central level, which will benefit the state in the long run.

Significantly, in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the JMM has 30 MLAs, the Congress 18 and the RJD 1 which puts them in a position of 49 while 41 is required for majority.

Opposition BJP has 26 while its ally Ajsu has 2 seats. In the last election, one seat went to BJP (Deepak Prakash) and the other to JMM (Shibu Soren).

In fact, voting for the biennial two Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant in Jharkhand is to be held on June 10 along with 57 other Rajya Sabha seats that was announced by the Election Commission on May 12.

In the last election in 2020, Congress candidate Shahzada Anwar had to face defeat. While in one seat, JMM supremo Shibu Soren won the other seat, the BJP’s current state president Deepak Prakash was victorious.

As per the poll panel’s announcement the notification will be issued on May 27, last date for nomination is May 31, scrutiny will be held on June 1, polling would be on June 10 from 9am to 4pm and the counting of votes will begin at 5pm on the same day.

Congress state president Rajesh Thakur informed media that party Jharkhand in-charge Avinash Pande will be in Ranchi on Wednesday and visit the Kotwali police station on Thursday.

Significantly, a case of violation of the code of conduct in the panchayat polls has been registered by the BJP against Avinash Pande at the Kotwali thana.

The Congress leaders parried away questions on likely candidates from the party for the Rajya Sabha seats. “It is for the party high command to take the decision. We will only send a few names from the state,” said Thakur.

The Congress leaders also stressed that decisions taken at the Nav Sankalp Chintan Shivir in Rajasthan would be implemented in the state and also highlight the wrong policies of the BJP-led central government which has led to inflation, unemployment and communal strife in the country.