Jharkhand: BJP, Congress candidates file nominations for RS polls

The two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates from Jharkhand for the March 23 Rajya Sabha elections -- Sameer Oraon and Pradeep Senthalia -- and Congress nominee Dheeraj Sahu filed their nominations on Monday.

Oraon and Santhalia were accompanied by Chief Minister Raghubar Das, and state ministers and legislators when they went to file their nominations.

While the Central Election Committee of the party had on Sunday evening announced the name of Sameer Oraon as their first candidate from the state for the upper House election, state BJP president Lakshman Giluwa earlier in the day announced the name of Pradeep Senthalia as its second candidate.

By fielding two candidates for the two Rajya Sabha seats, the BJP is trying to repeat the 2016 feat, despite the fact that numbers are not adequate for victory of both.

"The legislators will cast their votes hearing the voice of their conscience," Giluwa told reporters when asked how they would manage the numbers for the second candidate.

In the 82-member assembly, a contestant needs at least 27 votes to win. The ruling BJP has 43 and four would come from its ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).

For the second candidate, the BJP has support of 20 legislators. For the rest, the BJP is depending on the Independent and small party legislators who number seven.

Congress' Sahu, who filed his nomination in presence of party's state unit chief Dr Ajay Kumar, is supported by the Jharkhand MUkti Morcha (JMM) and others.

The JMM has 18 legislators and Congress seven. The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajantarik (JVM-P) has two legislators, who are likely to support the Congress nominee.

In 2016, the BJP had won both Rajya Sabha seats by denting the opposition unity.

--IANS

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