Congress puts up united front amid Rajya Sabha row

PNS

Ranchi

Seeking to counter allegations surrounding the recent Rajya Sabha election outcome in Jharkhand, all 16 Congress MLAs on Saturday asserted that they had voted unitedly in favour of INDIA bloc-backed Congress candidate Pranav Jha and dismissed accusations of cross-voting as baseless.

At a press conference convened by Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh and Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Kumar Yadav, 12 party MLAs appeared in person while four others issued video messages reaffirming their support for the Congress nominee.

Among those present were Deputy Leader of the Legislature Party Rajesh Kachhap, ministers Radhakrishna Kishore, Irfan Ansari and Shilpi Neha Tirkey, and MLAs Rameshwar Oraon, Mamta Devi, Shweta Singh, Sona Ram Sinku, Suresh Baitha, Bhushan Bara and Ramchandra Singh. Ministers Deepika Pandey Singh, Nishat Alam, Kumar Jaimangal alias Anoop Singh and Naman Bixal Kongadi released video statements stating that they had voted for Pranav Jha in the Rajya Sabha election.

Addressing the media, Keshav Mahto Kamlesh and Pradeep Kumar Yadav said allegations levelled by the BJP and RJD against the Congress leadership and legislators following the election result were “baseless and unfortunate.” They maintained that the Congress Legislature Party voted with complete unity, discipline and commitment in support of the alliance-backed candidate.

The legislators said that victory and defeat are both possibilities in a democratic process and that an unfavourable result should not become the basis for questioning the loyalty and commitment of Congress MLAs without evidence.

Turning the focus on the BJP, Congress leaders questioned why the party was unable to field a Jharkhand-based leader or worker as its candidate and instead backed an outsider. They alleged that the Rajya Sabha election had witnessed the influence of money power and raised questions over the source of votes received by the BJP-supported candidate.

The Congress leaders pointed out that while the BJP and its allies had only 24 votes in the Assembly, the NDA-backed independent candidate secured additional support. They claimed that if the Mahagathbandhan’s expected tally of 56 votes did not materialise, the missing votes indicated betrayal within the alliance.

The party leaders further argued that the alleged betrayal was not only against the Congress candidate but also against Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who heads the ruling alliance. They said Soren had worked extensively to ensure the success of the alliance candidate and expressed confidence that he would examine the circumstances surrounding the result and take appropriate action if required.

The Congress leadership said its central leaders were in touch with the leadership of alliance partners and that the situation was being analysed carefully. It urged coalition partners to refrain from public accusations and counter-allegations until the facts were fully established.

Reiterating the party’s commitment to democratic values, social justice and the development of Jharkhand, the Congress leaders said this was a time for introspection rather than blame-sharing. They also alleged that the victory of the BJP-backed candidate despite the INDIA bloc’s overwhelming mandate in the 2024 Assembly elections reflected the return of what they described as the BJP’s “suitcase politics.”

The party maintained that the election outcome should prompt all stakeholders to examine the circumstances that led to the result while remaining focused on issues affecting the people of Jharkhand.