BJP’s RS nominee SS Ahluwalia arrives at Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi on Friday. (Prashant Mitra)

Ranchi, April 20: Babulal Marandi-led JVM today issued a 24-hour deadline to estranged ally Congress, threatening to stay away from the Rajya Sabha elections if it did not accept its offer of a joint candidate for the May 3 vote that has suddenly thrown up fresh challenges for all parties with the entry of BJP’s S.S. Ahluwalia.

On a day the BJP’s surprise nominee and former Rajya Sabha MP arrived in the state capital, Marandi held a meeting with his party MLAs and office-bearers to gauge their mood and decided to stick to its stand of putting up an apolitical candidate with the Congress.

The former chief minister said he was left with no other alternative as the Congress has declined to accept three options provided by it. “First, we wanted the Congress to return the support we extended to its nominee in 2010. Second, we offered to support the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections if it agreed to leave Hatia Assembly seat for us. Lastly, we have suggested that it come on board with a common apolitical nominee,” he told The Telegraph.

Marandi said both the Congress and BJP had lost credibility and were arm-twisting junior partners. “It was ridiculous for the BJP to field its nominee when it had supported the JMM a fortnight back,” he maintained.

JVM principal general secretary Pradeep Yadav alleged the Congress was offering three posts of chairmen in boards/corporations to ensure MLAs’ support for the party nominee, alleging that Jharkhand Congress in-charge Shakeel Ahmed had rang up Pravin Singh to make such an offer.

“This is not the kind of politics the JVM indulges in. It’s mean tactics,” he claimed, adding the Congress would not be able to lure JVM into getting the support of its 11 MLAs.

Ahmed, who was camping in Ranchi to solicit support for the party’s nominee — it is likely to stick to Pradeep Balmuchu — denied he had made any offer. “Other Congress leaders might have made such an offer,” he said.

The JVM threat has understandably put the Congress on the backfoot. For, the ruling combine would be at an advantage if 11 JVM MLAs stayed away from the elections.

A Rajya Sabha candidate would require 24 votes to win if 11 MLAs stayed away. Since the ruling coalition has the support of 45 MLAs (18 each of BJP and JMM, five Ajsu, two JD-U and two Independents), it will require only three more votes to get both their nominees through.

“We are hopeful of getting JVM support. The JVM will not like both the BJP and JMM nominees to win the elections,” Ahmed told The Telegraph. Putting up a brave front, he claimed Ahluwalia’s entry had made the Congress candidate’s road to the Rajya Sabha easier.

The Congress, he said, had the support of 18 MLAs, including five from RJD. “If the JVM supports us, we will surely romp home,” he added.