Jharkhand Rajya Sabha Election 2026 Results: NDA-Backed Parimal Nathwani Wins Amid Cross-Voting, JMM’s Baidyanath Ram Elected
JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram and NDA-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani were elected to the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand on Thursday. Nathwani’s victory was aided by cross-voting from ruling alliance legislators, dealing a setback to Congress candidate Pranav Jha in the closely watched contest.
In a major political development, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Baidyanath Ram and National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-supported Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani were officially elected to the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand on Thursday. Nathwani’s victory came on the back of crucial cross-voting by ruling alliance lawmakers, dealing a direct blow to Congress nominee Pranav Jha in a high-stakes legislative battle.
Cross-Voting Shifts the Balance
The election for the two vacant Upper House seats was held at the state assembly complex in Ranchi, where 81 MLAs cast their votes. While Baidyanath Ram’s victory was widely anticipated given the JMM’s strong numerical superiority in the assembly, the fight for the second seat turned unpredictable. BJP, NDA MLAs in Jharkhand Leave for Assembly as Rajya Sabha Voting Begins.
According to election officials, Nathwani managed to surpass the required threshold of 28 first-preference votes after several legislators from the ruling INDIA bloc defied party lines to vote in his favor. Reports from political circles indicate that multiple MLAs across opposition lines, including members of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and JMM, strayed from the alliance consensus to support the Independent candidate.
Comfortable Victory for JMM
In contrast to the tightly contested second seat, former state minister and JMM veteran Baidyanath Ram secured a seamless path to the Rajya Sabha. Backed by the JMM’s solid base of 34 MLAs, Ram easily comfortably cleared the required minimum vote count early in the tallying process. The JMM leadership expressed satisfaction with Ram’s election, reinforcing the party’s footprint in the Parliament. This particular seat had fallen vacant following the demise of JMM co-founder and veteran leader Shibu Soren.
Background and Political Implications
The current composition of the Jharkhand Assembly heavily favored the ruling INDIA bloc, which holds 56 seats (including JMM, Congress, RJD, and CPI-ML) against the NDA’s 24 seats. Because a candidate requires 28 first-preference votes to win, the BJP-led NDA initially lacked the necessary numbers to safely pull Nathwani across the finish line. Congress Releases List of 7 Candidates for Upcoming Rajya Sabha Elections.
In anticipation of potential political maneuvering, both alliances had aggressively attempted to keep their legislative factions intact. The NDA had temporarily sequestered its MLAs at a local hotel in Ranchi, while Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s alliance organized mock polling drills to ensure strict party-line voting. Ultimately, the defensive measures failed to prevent internal fractures within the ruling alliance, resulting in Congress’s Pranav Jha losing out on the second parliamentary berth. The second seat opened up following the completion of BJP member Deepak Prakash's six-year term.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2026 06:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
