Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: JMM Central Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya on Monday held a press conference declaring that Rahul Gandhi and Hemant Soren are leaders only of the 50 MLAs who voted for the JMM and Congress candidates in the Rajya Sabha election, while the 28 MLAs who voted for Parimal Nathwani have Narendra Modi and Amit Shah as their leaders. He bluntly said that six MLAs have committed betrayal.
What Happened in the Rajya Sabha Election
The INDIA alliance has 56 MLAs in Jharkhand. Despite having sufficient numbers to win both seats, Congress candidate Pranav Jha suffered a defeat, receiving only 20 votes. Six MLAs cross-voted in favour of BJP-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani, ensuring his victory. Bhattacharya sidestepped questions about whether action would be taken against the six cross-voting MLAs.
Alliance Under Strain
The development has triggered a war of words between political parties over the cross-voting episode. Two days earlier, Congress leaders had held a press conference saying they were ready to drink poison to save the alliance. JMM’s sharp statement is now being seen as part of efforts to patch up the bitterness that has spread within the alliance.
