Ranchi: The BJP and Opposition are again doing the maths for Jharkhand's biennial Rajya Sabha polls on March 23, an electoral exercise that has been clouded by cash-for-votes controversies for years now.
The Rajya Sabha polls have been necessitated by the imminent completion of six-year tenures of its MPs - Congressman Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu and Sanjeev Kumar of JMM - on May 3. The last date to file nomination papers is March 12, which will be scrutinised on March 13. The last date to withdraw nomination papers is March 15. Counting of votes will be done on March 23 evening.
On Monday, leader of the Opposition Hemant Soren air-dashed to Delhi to discuss poll strategies with senior Congress leaders, indicating the Opposition's urgency to field a common candidate. The BJP, which has a majority of its own in the Assembly and Ajsu Party as its ally, is waiting for an order from the party high command.
Though it is too early to say how many candidates will be in the fray and how many among them will cast valid votes, Assembly secretary Binay Kumar Singh said winning candidates need to secure at least 27 first preference votes, provided all 80 MLAs cast valid votes.
For BJP having 43 MLAs and the support of four Ajsu Party MLAs, winning one Rajya Sabha seats is no big deal.
But, if it wants both seats, it will have to get the support of seven more MLAs.
On the other hand, JMM has 18 MLAs, Congress seven and the JVM two. There are six Independent MLAs.
"Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Geeta Koda and Anosh Ekka are officially not supporting the BJP-led government but ultimately might vote for us because of personal compulsions. BSP MLA Kushwaha Shivpujan Mehta will obey party orders. We need to mobilise support of only three more MLAs," said a senior BJP MLA.
During 2016 biennials the BJP won both Rajya Sabha seats under a cloud.
Data suggests two Opposition MLAs had voted for the BJP candidate in 2016. Reportedly, Devendra Singh of Congress and Chamra Linda of JMM did not vote fearing arrests in old cases. Allegedly, the chief minister's close aides ADG Special Branch Anurag Gupta and then political advisor Ajay Kumar tried to lure Nirmala Devi of the Congress to vote for the BJP.
The Election Commission recommended punitive actions against Gupta and Kumar. After a long silence, chief minister Raghubar Das on Sunday said the EC had been sent a reply in consultation with the advocate general.
In 2012, an Independent candidate R.K. Agrawal allegedly tried to grease the palms of voter MLAs to vote him into the august House.
Arrested by CBI, he is currently out on provisional bail. In this same case, JMM MLA Sita Soren figured as named accused for allegedly being in touch with Agrawal. She is out of bail.
