BJP eyes both RS seats in Jharkhand as Congress, JMM join hands

The ruling BJP in Jharkhand on Friday said it will contest both vacant Rajya Sabha seats in the state, even as the opposition also geared up to give it a united fight.

BJP state President Lakshman Giluwa said the party will contest both seats. The BJP held a meeting at the party headquarters here to chalk out a strategy for the contest. Chief Minister Raghubar Das and Giluwa were present at the meeting.

The Bharatiya Janata Party can win one seat comfortably but will require to dent the opposition unity if it wants to win the second also.

In the 82-member Assembly, the JMM has 18 legislators and the Congress five. The Congress will try to get support of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik's two legislators.

To win the Rajya Sabha polls, 28 votes are needed. The ruling BJP has 43 legislators while its ally All Jharkhand Students Union has four.

On Friday, Congress leaders R.P.N. Singh and state Congress President Dr Ajay Kumar met Jharkhand Mukti Morcha President Shibu Soren. Singh later thanked the JMM for supporting the Congress which will declare its candidate on March 11.

"We thank the JMM for supporting our candidate in the RS polls. JMM is the largest opposition party in the Assembly and is supporting us," Singh told the media here.

--IANS

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