Ranchi, Jun 7 (PTI) The ruling INDIA bloc in Jharkhand on Sunday announced that its two Rajya Sabha nominees — one each from the JMM and the Congress — will file their nomination papers on Monday, asserting that the alliance is united and confident of winning both seats.
The decision was taken at a meeting of INDIA bloc legislators chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren at his official residence here.
JMM has fielded former minister Baidyanath Ram, while the Congress has nominated senior party functionary Pranav Jha for the biennial polls.
“Soren chaired a meeting of INDIA bloc legislators. It was unanimously decided that both the nominees and other leaders will gather at the CM’s office in the Assembly and thereafter proceed for filing nominations,” JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya told reporters after the meeting.
The INDIA bloc partners — JMM, Congress, RJD and CPI(ML) Liberation — reiterated that they would jointly contest the election and secure both seats.
JMM central general secretary Vinod Kumar Pandey said Soren had called upon all public representatives of the alliance to remain united and play an active role in the election process.
Senior Congress leader Pradip Yadav said both candidates would file their nomination papers at 11 am in the presence of the chief minister and INDIA bloc legislators.
RJD leader and minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav also expressed confidence of victory.
“The INDIA bloc partners are united, and we will win both the Rajya Sabha seats,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Congress observers for the Rajya Sabha polls, Bhupesh Baghel and Ajay Sharma, met Soren and discussed the alliance’s strategy for the election.
“We are going to win both the seats here. The two nominees of the ruling alliance will file their nomination papers on Monday,” Baghel told reporters after the meeting.
The nomination process began on June 1 and will conclude on June 8, while polling is scheduled for June 18.
One of the Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant following the death of JMM co-founder Shibu Soren, while the term of BJP member Deepak Prakash is ending on June 21.
A candidate requires a minimum of 28 first-preference votes to secure victory.
In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the INDIA bloc has 56 MLAs — 34 from the JMM, 16 from the Congress, four from the RJD and two from CPI(ML) Liberation.
The Congress on Friday named senior party functionary Pranav Jha as its candidate for one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from the state.
Baghel and Sharma also met Soren on Saturday, hours after the JMM nominated former minister Baidyanath Ram as its candidate for the polls.
The BJP has announced that it will field a candidate for one of the two Rajya Sabha seats, but it has not yet announced the name.
The NDA has 24 MLAs — 21 from the BJP and one each from the LJP (Ram Vilas), AJSU Party and JD(U). The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha has one MLA.
