The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has written to the Election Commission of India ahead of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand, expressing apprehension over possible attempts to influence legislators through “financial inducements and external pressure.”
In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, the party referred to the biennial Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 18 and highlighted the numerical strength of the ruling alliance in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly.
The letter stated that the pre-poll alliance comprising the JMM, the Indian National Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal and CPI(ML) had secured a comfortable majority in the Assembly.
It noted that alliance leader Hemant Soren was unanimously elected leader of the coalition legislature party and later sworn in as Chief Minister.
According to the JMM, the alliance currently has enough numbers to ensure the victory of two Rajya Sabha candidates, as a candidate requires 28 first-preference votes to win.
Also read: Rajya Sabha polls on June 18 for 24 seats across 10 states
The party, however, alleged that despite having only 24 MLAs in the Assembly, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has publicly announced its intention to field a candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls.
The letter claimed that such a move could lead to attempts at influencing legislators through monetary incentives, unethical pressure and intimidation.
The JMM urged the Election Commission to ensure free, fair and transparent elections and sought strict monitoring to prevent any alleged malpractice during the polling process.
The development has added a fresh political dimension to the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand, where political parties have intensified preparations ahead of the nomination process.
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