After a dispute among INDIA Bloc allies in Jharkhand following the Congress Rajya Sabha candidate’s defeat, the CPI(ML) Liberation has written to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The letter, penned by CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, requests intervention to stop what he calls “unsubstantiated statements” by Congress leaders in the state. Bhattacharya clarified that both CPI(ML) MLAs supported the Congress candidate as per the Opposition parties’ understanding and coalition discipline.
He emphasized that the party’s authorized polling agents verified the votes cast by its MLAs during the voting process, ensuring no cross-voting occurred. Bhattacharya expressed concerns that public accusations by some Congress leaders could harm his party’s political standing and potentially disrupt the unity of the INDIA Bloc. He urged the Congress leadership to prevent its members from making allegations against allies without factual basis.
Bhattacharya also criticized certain media outlets for reporting the allegations without seeking the party’s perspective or independently confirming the facts, leading to confusion. He highlighted CPI(ML)’s strong commitment to the INDIA Bloc and its efforts to bolster Opposition unity in states like Bihar and Jharkhand. Bhattacharya deemed the accusations against the party regrettable in this context.
In a separate development, RJD National General Secretary Bhola Yadav and Jharkhand President refuted claims of cross-voting during a press conference. They asserted that all party MLAs supported the Congress candidate in accordance with directives from party President Lalu Prasad. The results of the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand saw JMM candidate Baijnath Ram and NDA-backed Independent Parimal Nathwani emerging victorious, while Congress candidate Pranav Jha faced defeat.
Following the election outcome, Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju and other leaders accused allies, including RJD and CPI(ML), of not backing the Congress candidate.
