Congress Rajya Sabha loss in Jharkhand cracks INDIA bloc, RJD and CPI-ML hit back
Synopsis
The INDIA bloc's numerical majority in the Jharkhand Assembly was not enough to win a Rajya Sabha seat — and the fallout has been swift. Congress is publicly blaming RJD and CPI-ML for cross-voting; both allies are firing back, saying Congress couldn't even hold its own MLAs. The open bickering signals a deeper cohesion problem inside the opposition alliance.
Key Takeaways
Congress nominee Pranav Jha lost the Rajya Sabha election in Jharkhand on 19 June 2025 despite the INDIA bloc holding a numerical majority in the Assembly.
JMM 's Baijnath Ram and NDA -backed independent Parimal Nathwani won the two contested seats.
Congress in-charge K.
Raju alleged that RJD and CPI-ML MLAs cross-voted in favour of the NDA candidate.
RJD denied the charge, with Bhola Yadav and Sanjay Yadav asserting all four RJD MLAs backed the Congress nominee.
CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya warned that unsubstantiated allegations risk damaging INDIA bloc unity and credibility.
Political analysts say the episode exposes internal contradictions within the alliance, with Congress possibly failing to secure its own MLAs' votes.
The INDIA bloc in Jharkhand has been plunged into an open dispute after the defeat of Congress nominee Pranav Jha in the Rajya Sabha elections on 19 June 2025 triggered a bitter exchange of allegations between alliance partners. Congress accused the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML) of cross-voting — charges both parties flatly rejected, turning the blame back on the Congress itself.
What Happened in the Rajya Sabha Vote
Two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand were contested. JMM's Baijnath Ram and NDA-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani emerged victorious. Jha, the Congress candidate, lost despite the INDIA bloc holding numerical strength in the Jharkhand Assembly — making the outcome a pointed embarrassment for the alliance.
Congress Points the Finger at Allies
Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju claimed that Congress and JMM legislators voted as expected but alleged that RJD and CPI-ML MLAs did not extend support and instead cross-voted in favour of the NDA-backed candidate. Congress MLA and minister Deepika Pandey Singh also questioned the role of alliance partners, saying constituent parties must clarify their stand during voting.
RJD and CPI-ML Reject the Charge
RJD national General Secretary Bhola Yadav said all party MLAs voted in line with directions from party President Lalu Prasad and the leadership. He stated he was personally present as an authorised agent during voting and that his party's MLAs showed their ballots to him, calling the Congress charge 'baseless and unfortunate.'
RJD state President and minister Sanjay Yadav, at a press conference in Ranchi on Friday, said the party has always adhered to alliance discipline and advised Congress to review its own internal situation before blaming others. RJD MLA Suresh Paswan went further, asserting that all four RJD MLAs supported the Congress candidate and accused Congress of shifting blame for its own political failure onto allies.
The CPI-ML was equally emphatic in its denial. Party's Jharkhand state Secretary Manoj Bhakta said both CPI-ML MLAs voted for the Congress nominee and that authorised representatives monitored the voting process. CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya warned that making unsubstantiated allegations could damage the unity and credibility of the INDIA bloc.
What Analysts Are Saying
Political analysts say the result has exposed deep internal contradictions within the alliance. The Congress is blaming allies for cross-voting, while the RJD and CPI-ML maintain that the party failed to secure the full backing of its own MLAs. Notably, this is not the first time the INDIA bloc has faced post-election recrimination — similar fault lines surfaced after assembly and by-poll results in other states. The Jharkhand episode, however, is particularly significant because the bloc holds a majority in the Assembly and still lost the seat.
What Comes Next
The public spat raises questions about the INDIA bloc's cohesion ahead of future electoral contests in Jharkhand and nationally. Whether alliance managers can contain the fallout — or whether this marks the beginning of a longer unravelling — will depend on how quickly the constituent parties step back from public recrimination and return to closed-door coordination.
Point of View
The arithmetic failure points inward — not outward. Congress's public accusation of RJD and CPI-ML, without producing evidence, is a political gamble that risks permanently souring relations with partners it needs for state and national contests. More telling is that both accused parties responded not with silence but with counter-accusations about Congress's hold over its own MLAs — a sign that the deference smaller allies once showed the grand old party is eroding fast. The INDIA bloc's credibility as a disciplined electoral force takes a measurable hit every time its members fight publicly over a vote they should have won on paper.
NationPress
4 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Congress lose the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha election despite having a majority?
Congress nominee Pranav Jha lost the Rajya Sabha seat even though the INDIA bloc held numerical strength in the Jharkhand Assembly. Congress alleges cross-voting by RJD and CPI-ML MLAs, but both parties deny this and suggest Congress may have failed to secure full support from its own legislators.
Who won the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand?
JMM's Baijnath Ram and NDA-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani won the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand on 19 June 2025.
What did the RJD say about the cross-voting allegations?
RJD national General Secretary Bhola Yadav said all party MLAs voted as directed by party President Lalu Prasad and that he personally monitored the voting as an authorised agent. RJD state President Sanjay Yadav advised Congress to examine its own internal situation before blaming allies.
How did CPI-ML respond to the Congress allegations?
CPI-ML state Secretary Manoj Bhakta said both CPI-ML MLAs voted for the Congress candidate and that authorised representatives were present to monitor the process. General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya warned that baseless allegations could damage INDIA bloc unity.
What does this episode mean for the INDIA bloc's future in Jharkhand?
The public fallout raises serious questions about alliance cohesion ahead of future elections. Political analysts say the result exposes internal contradictions within the INDIA bloc, and the open recrimination between Congress, RJD, and CPI-ML could complicate coordination in upcoming electoral contests.
