Political activity in Jharkhand has heightened as the state prepares for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections on June 18. Congress leaders recently engaged in a lengthy meeting with Chief Minister Hemant Soren to discuss seat-sharing and candidate selection strategies. While the focus was on ensuring the victory of alliance nominees for the two seats, no final decisions were made during the meeting.
The meeting attendees included key figures such as Congress Jharkhand in-charge K. Raju, co-in-charge Dr. Sirivella Prasad, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and Jharkhand Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh. The Congress leaders emphasized the party’s expectation of being allocated one Rajya Sabha seat in accordance with alliance norms. However, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s stance on the issue remains unclear, with some senior party members advocating for fielding candidates for both seats.
Internal discussions on potential candidates are ongoing within both parties. The JMM is considering names like Kalpana Soren, Anjani Soren, Kunal Sarangi, and Mithilesh Thakur. In Congress, there is a growing push for various candidates, including former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay, former state president Rajesh Thakur, current state president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, and others. Notably, former working president Shehzada Anwar, who contested in the 2020 Rajya Sabha elections and lost, has expressed interest in running again.
Congress has affirmed its intention to nominate a local leader with strong grassroots support and organizational backing for the upcoming elections. The Election Commission of India has announced that the Rajya Sabha elections for 24 seats across 10 states, including two seats in Jharkhand, will take place on June 18.
