RS poll loss leaves BJP red-faced

In a major emba­rrassment to BJP, senior party leader S S Ahluwalia lost Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand as Congress and JMM candidates emerged victorious on two seats for which the polling was held on Thursday.

In the elections held in BJP–ruled state after they were countermanded by Election Commission following charges of horse-trading, Ahluwalia, BJP’s outgoing deputy leader in the Upper House of Parliament finished third with 20 votes -- 18 of its own and two from the JD(U).

Of the 68 votes polled in the 81-member assembly, Pradip Kumar Balmuchu of the Congress got 25 votes while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Sanjeev Kumar managed to secure 23.

Balmuchu, president of the state Congress unit, got 13 votes of his own party, five of RJD and seven from independents, including two Chamra Linda and Bidesh Singh, who supported the BJP-JMM coalition government in the state, but voted for the
Congress. There is one seat in the Assembly, which has to be nominated.

Kumar, candidate of JMM, which has 18 legislators, got support of five members of ruling alliance partner All Jharkhand Students Union.

BJP is heading the ruling coalition in Jharkhand in alliance with JMM, both parties have 18 MLAs each.

Terming the defeat as “unfortunate”, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi blamed “horse-trading” by the Cong­r­ess as the reason behind the defeat of Ahluwalia. “It is unf­ortunate for all of us. It is very clear indication how horse tr­ading took place in these elections,” Naqvi told Deccan Herald.

Jharkhand BJP president Dineshanand Goswami told reporters in Ranchi: “The Co­ngress secured 25 votes by luring independent legislators.”

Speaking to reporters in Ranchi, Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party president Dineshanand Goswami said: "The Congress secured 25 votes by luring independent legislators."

The JMM had earlier asked BJP to withdraw its candidate in favour Sanjeev Kumar, but the latter rejected the call.

Eleven members of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and the lone MLA of CPI(ML-Liberation) abstained from voting.

The polling for Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand took place on March 30.
However, he Election Commission of India countermanded the elections in the wake of allegations use of money power and horse-trading after Rs.2.15 crore was seized from vehicle of a relative of an independent candidate RK Agrawal.