PTI
New Delhi/Ranchi
In a closely contested Rajya Sabha election in Jharkhand, cross-voting helped NDA-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani win one of the two seats in the state on Thursday. The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) secured the
other seat.
Nathwani polled 28 votes, defeating the Congress’ Pranav Jha who bagged 20 votes.
In Mizoram, ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) secured its first-ever representation in the Rajya Sabha as party candidate K Laltluangkima won the election to the lone seat from the state.
Elections were held on Thursday for two seats in Jharkhand.
RS poll was also held in one seat in Mizoram; 24 candidates in eight states were elected unopposed after scrutiny on June 11.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and the party’s media cell head Pawan Khera besides BJP leaders Satish Poonia and Tarun Chugh were among 24 candidates elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.
On June 11, 19 NDA candidates were declared elected unopposed while the Congress bagged the remaining five.
Bypolls for three Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha were also held earlier, with candidates being elected unopposed.
With this round of Rajya Sabha elections, the ruling NDA has inched closer to the two-thirds majority mark.
The NDA will now have 150 seats in the Rajya Sabha. If it wins another three seats that have fallen vacant in West Bengal, it will have 153 members in the Upper House, still 10 short of a two-thirds majority.
On Thursday, JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram was elected to the other seat in Jharkhand.
