Jharkhand Congress pitches for own candidate in Rajya Sabha polls, seeks JMM's support

Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], May 18 (ANI): Congress Jharkhand unit has expressed its desire to send its candidate from the alliance to Rajya Sabha in the upcoming polls while also seeking "compromise" from partner Jharkhand Mukti Morcha which had fielded party president Shibu Soren to the Upper House in 2020.
Notably, Shibu Soren was the candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls from the Congress-JMM-RJD alliance in 2020, who got elected for the Upper House.
Speaking to ANI, Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh Thakur informed that they are in touch with state Chief Minister Hemant Soren on the matter and hoped for things to materialise after a meeting with the allies.
"We want a candidate from Congress this time. We are talking to the CM Hemant Soren regarding it. Last time it was Guru ji (Shibu Soren) who was sent and this time it should be someone from Congress. Naturally this time someone from Congress should go to the upper house of the Parliament, and this is what alliance is all about, compromise and sacrifice," Thakur said.
The Congress leader denied on the finalisation of names so far, and said that it would be done only after a discussion with the Chief Minister.
"No name has been finalized yet. We will meet and speak with the chief minister. Everything related to this will be discussed. Our incharge is also coming to Jharkhand. After discussion, we will decide on the name," he said.
Tenure of two Rajya Sabha members, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Mahesh Poddar, from Jharkhand is completing on July 7, 2022. Polling for the same will take place on June 10.
JMM president Shibu Soren and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Deepak Prakash won the two seats in 2020. The Congress did field Shahzada Anwar, however, he did not register a win. (ANI)