The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Monday named senior leader Mahua Maji as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Jharkhand.
Maji's name was announced by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is also JMM's executive president.
Addressing a press meet at his official residence, Soren said that he zeroed in on Maji's name after holding discussions in this regard with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and his father and JMM supremo Shibu Soren.
On Sunday, Soren said he held an “extensive” discussion with the Congress president. “There is a consensus that the coalition will have one candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat,” he added.
However, the Jharkhand Congress expressed unhappiness over the nomination.
Jharkhand Congress chief Rajesh Thakur said the announcement was not in line with the talks that happened in Delhi between Sonia Gandhi and Hemant Soren.
Jharkhand Congress in-charge Avinash Pande said the decision was unilaterally taken by JMM.
Pande told reporters, "Recently, I met Congress party president Sonia Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi ji said that if Congress had got the Rajya Sabha seat from Jharkhand, it would have been better for the alliance as well as there could have been better harmony in the alliance. But, it seems that the decision (on Mahua Maji) was unilaterally taken by JMM." "I am saddened to know this fact. However, this will not affect the coalition and the government in the state," he said.
Meanwhile, when asked about Congress' displeasure, Soren said, "All answers will be before you very soon."
Elections to 57 Rajya Sabha seats spread across 15 states will take place on June 10. The maximum number of seats is in Uttar Pradesh, with polls to be held for 11 vacancies.
The states where these biennial elections will be held are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana.
The Election Commission of India said that the notification for the biennial elections has been issued on May 24, 2022, while the last date for filing nominations is May 31, 2022. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is June 3, 2022. The counting of votes will be held on June 10, after the polling process gets over, the ECI statement read.
