Interesting as it may sound, former YSR Congress Party leader and ex-Rajya Sabha member V Vijayasai Reddy is said to be in the race for the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections from Jharkhand.
According to sources, Sai Reddy, apart from industrialist Parimal Nathwani, who was also a former YSRCP MP from Andhra Pradesh until recently, and BJP spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh, has obtained nomination papers from the Speaker’s office.
This has made the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand all the more interesting, as it is being viewed as part of a possible BJP strategy to encourage cross-voting.
The 81-member Jharkhand Assembly currently comprises 56 legislators belonging to the INDIA bloc, 24 members from the NDA and one Independent MLA. With two Rajya Sabha seats up for grabs, a candidate requires 28 votes to secure election.
Several aspirants have already obtained nomination papers, including JMM nominee Baijnath Ram and Congress candidate Pranav Jha, apart from Sai Reddy, Gaurav Vallabh and Parimal Nathwani.
On paper, the INDIA bloc has sufficient numerical strength to comfortably win both seats. However, recent differences between the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress over the allocation of the second seat have triggered speculation that cross-voting could alter the outcome.
Political analysts believe Baijnath Ram is almost certain to secure one of the two seats.
The real contest is expected to revolve around the second seat, where the preferential voting system used in Rajya Sabha elections could prove decisive.
Under a hypothetical scenario, if Baijnath Ram secures the required 28 first-preference votes and gets elected, Pranav Jha and Gaurav Vallabh could be tied at 24 votes each, while Parimal Nathwani and Vijayasai Reddy may secure four votes and one vote, respectively.
Since Rajya Sabha elections are conducted through a system of preferential voting, second and subsequent preferences become crucial once lower-ranked candidates are eliminated.
If Sai Reddy’s lone vote transfers to Gaurav Vallabh as a second preference, Vallabh’s tally would rise to 25. Subsequently, if Nathwani’s four votes also transfer to Vallabh, his total would increase to 29, surpassing Congress candidate Pranav Jha’s 24 votes.
In such a scenario, Vallabh could emerge victorious despite starting with the same number of first-preference votes as the Congress nominee.
There are reports that BJP legislators have signed nomination papers without the party officially announcing its candidate.
Political circles are also discussing claims that signatures were collected on blank nomination papers, though no official confirmation has emerged.
Questions are also being raised about Sai Reddy’s candidature, as he had earlier stated that he had stepped away from active politics.
Under election rules, Independent candidates require the support of at least 10 MLAs as proposers. This has sparked speculation over which candidates may receive backing from BJP legislators.
With the deadline for filing nominations falling today, uncertainty remains over who will ultimately stay in the race.
There is growing belief in political circles that the BJP may eventually extend support to one of the Independent candidates, potentially complicating the Congress party’s prospects despite the INDIA bloc’s numerical advantage.
