RANCHI:
Congress and
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) will appoint a joint poll-observer in the
Rajya Sabha polls in state to prevent cross voting in favor of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (
BJP).
Two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand will go to polls on March 23. The opposition has fielded Dhiraj Prasad Sahu, the Congress nominee with the support of JMM. Babulal Marandi led Jharkhand Vikas Morcha Prajatantrik (JVM-P) too has lent its unconditional support to Sahu.
"A court order has mandated that a joint poll-observer can be appointed for a joint-party candidate. The opposition legislators will show their ballot papers to the joint poll-observer after casting their ballots," Congress legislative party leader Alamgir Alam told the TOI on Tuesday.
This year's poll has become interesting after BJP fielded Dhanbad based businessman Pradeep Kumar Sonthalia as its second candidate. In 2016, BJP's second candidate Mahesh Poddar sailed past JMM candidate Basant Soren after two opposition MLAs cross voted in BJP's favour.
The nomination of Sonthalia has made Congress wary of cross-voting in this year's elections.
While Samir Oraon is clear favorite and is expected to sail through with 47 votes (of the ruling BJP-AJSU dispensation), BJP's second candidate Pradeep Kumar Sonthalia will end up with 20 second preference votes in his share. Though the Dhanbad based businessman is expected to get the support of three independent legislators, he will fall short of four votes.
On the other hand, Sahu is expected to get the votes of 30 legislators including 18 of JMM, seven of the Congress, two of the JVM-P and one each of the CPI (ML), MCC and the BSP.
Meanwhile, JMM working president Hemant Soren and JVM-P president Babulal Marandi went to New Delhi to attend a dinner hosted for UPA by Sonia Gandhi.
