Cross-voting, invalid ballots and a surprise victor: NDA-backed Parimal Nathwani wins Jharkhand Rajya Sabha seat

NDA-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani won one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand on Thursday, while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha candidate Baidyanath Ram took the other in an election that was decided by cross-voting and a clutch of invalid ballots.

Nathwani defeated Congress candidate Pranav Jha after securing 28 votes, according to officials, while Jha received 20 and Ram polled 30. Three votes — two cast by BJP legislators and one by a Congress member — were declared invalid.

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Numbers, it seems, had other plans

The result came despite the NDA’s numerical disadvantage in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. The alliance had 24 MLAs, four short of the 28 first-preference votes needed to secure a seat, while the INDIA bloc had 56 members across the JMM, Congress, and allies.

All 81 MLAs cast their votes at the Assembly polling station, and the outcome suggested that some legislators voted against the expected party line. Hindustan Times relayed that the NDA had shifted its MLAs to a Ranchi hotel before voting, while the INDIA bloc had also held meetings and a mock poll to keep its legislators aligned.

No shortage of post-poll recriminations

The contest triggered immediate political reactions. Congress state in-charge K. Raju alleged that “money was used” by the independent candidate to influence the result and told reporters, “All 16 votes of Congress are intact; JMM gave 4 votes, and Congress got 20 votes. This situation arose because the independent candidate used money…”

Congress minister Deepika Pandey reacted to the outcome with the words “dhoka hua” (betrayed). On the other side, BJP leaders welcomed Nathwani’s victory, with Jharkhand BJP president Aditya Sahu saying legislators had voted according to their conscience.

Two vacancies, one rather telling lesson

The two seats had fallen vacant for different reasons: one after the death of JMM co-founder Shibu Soren and the other after the completion of BJP member Deepak Prakash’s tenure on June 21.

The election therefore became a test of discipline for both camps and a reminder of how close-state arithmetic can be upended by cross-voting, even when one bloc appears short on paper.

With the results now out, one seat goes to the NDA-backed independent, and the other stays with the ruling JMM.

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FAQs

Q1: Who won the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha election in 2026?

Ans: NDA-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani and JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram won the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand.

Q2: How did Parimal Nathwani win the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha poll?

Ans: Nathwani secured victory after cross-voting and invalid ballots altered the expected voting arithmetic in the Jharkhand Assembly.