RS Polls: Nominations begin, voting for 2 seats on June 18
PNS, Ranchi
The election process for two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand formally commenced on Monday following the issuance of a notification by the Election Commission of India. With this, the filing of nominations has begun, while polling is scheduled for June 18. Counting of votes will take place on the same day at 5 PM. However, no nominations were reportedly filed on the opening day.
The elections are being held to fill vacancies arising after the completion of the terms of veteran leader Shibu Soren and BJP MP Deepak Prakash.
The ruling alliance in the state, comprising the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Indian National Congress, holds a clear majority in the assembly, putting it in a strong position to secure both seats. However, the Congress has staked a claim for one of the two seats as part of the alliance arrangement.
Recently, Congress Jharkhand in-charge K. Raju and Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka met Chief Minister Hemant Soren to deliberate on seat-sharing and candidate selection.
Several names are doing the rounds from the ruling alliance camp, including Anjali Soren, Subodh Kant Sahay, Dhiraj Sahu, Rajesh Thakur and Keshav Mahato Kamlesh. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to contest one of the two seats and has reportedly sent a panel of potential candidates to its central leadership. Prominent names under consideration include Arjun Munda and Nandlal Agrawal. The party’s top leadership is currently holding discussions in Delhi to finalize its candidate.
