Congress leader Rajesh Thakur on Friday alleged “betrayal” within the opposition alliance after the party’s candidate Pranav Jha lost in the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand, saying the result indicated that they may not have gotten votes from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist).
He said that Congress expected 26 votes but received only 21, with one vote declared invalid.
“We got 26 votes, and got 21 votes, with one invalid vote. In our alliance, we had 16 votes, four from JMM, four from RJD, two from CPI(ML)L. It looks like we may not have got votes from RJD and CPI(ML)L,” Thakur told ANI.
He added: “There has been betrayal, and betrayal only happens when there is trust. We all have to think seriously about this matter.”
The remarks came after Congress candidate Pranav Jha suffered a setback in the Rajya Sabha polls, while NDA-backed independent Parimal Nathwani emerged victorious.
Earlier in the day, BJP leaders congratulated NDA-backed independent Natwane after he won the biennial elections for two Lok Sabha seats from Jharkhand. There were three candidates vying for the two Rajya Sabha seats.
All India Alliance’s Badyanath Ram, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) candidate, and NDA-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani won, while Congress candidate Pranav Jha faced defeat in the contest.
After his victory, Parimal Nathwani expressed his gratitude and reaffirmed his commitment to development-oriented work, with special focus on rural areas of Jharkhand. (that I)
