Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], June 19 (ANI): Congress leader Rajesh Thakur on Friday alleged "betrayal" within the opposition alliance after the party's candidate Pranav Jha lost in the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand, saying the result indicates that they might not have recieved votes from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation.
He said the Congress expected 26 votes but secured only 21, with one vote declared invalid.
"We had 26 votes, and we got 21 votes, with one vote invalid. In our alliance, 16 votes were ours, four were from JMM, four were from RJD, and two were from CPI(ML)L. It appears that we may not have received the votes of RJD and CPI(ML)L," Thakur told ANI.
"There has been a betrayal, and betrayal happens only where there is trust. We all have to think seriously about this," he added.
The remarks came after Congress candidate Pranav Jha suffered a setback in the Rajya Sabha polls, while NDA-backed independent Parimal Nathwani emerged victorious.
Earlier in the day, BJP leaders congratulated NDA-backed independent Nathwani after he secured victory in the biennial elections held for two Upper House seats from Jharkhand. For the two Rajya Sabha seats, three candidates were in the fray.
INDIA alliance's Baidyanath Ram, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) candidate, and NDA-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani emerged victorious, while Congress candidate Pranav Jha faced defeat in the contest.
Following his victory, Parimal Nathwani expressed gratitude and reaffirmed his commitment towards development-oriented work, particularly focusing on Jharkhand's rural regions. (ANI)
