NDA-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani won one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand on Thursday, while ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) nominee Baidyanath Ram secured the second seat.
According to election officials, Nathwani received 28 votes, defeating Congress candidate Pranav Jha, who polled 20 votes. Ram secured 30 votes to win the other berth.
Three votes were declared invalid, including two cast by BJP legislators and one by a Congress MLA, officials said.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has 24 members in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, below the 28 first-preference votes required to secure a Rajya Sabha seat. Nathwani’s victory indicated support beyond the alliance’s stated strength in the House.
The ruling INDIA bloc, comprising the JMM, Congress and their allies, has 56 legislators in the Assembly.
Voting for the two seats was held on the Assembly premises, with all 81 MLAs casting their ballots.
The victory marks Nathwani’s fourth term in the Rajya Sabha. He previously represented Jharkhand in the Upper House from 2008 to 2020 before serving a term from Andhra Pradesh.
Following the result, Nathwani thanked legislators who supported his candidature and said he looked forward to continuing to serve Jharkhand in Parliament.
