Jharkhand Rajya Sabha polls: Congress, JMM win, BJP loses

Ranchi, May 3 (IANS) The Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) won a Rajya Sabha seat each from Jharkhand Thursday while the ruling BJP faced a humiliating defeat in the elections for two seats from the state.

Senior BJP leader S.S. Ahluwalia failed to retain his seat.

Sixty-eight legislators of the 81-member assembly cast their votes, with Congress, JMM and BJP candidates Pradeep Balmuchu, Sanjiv Kumar and Ahluwalia securing 25, 23 and 20 votes respectively.

The Congress, which has 13 legislators, sailed through by securing the votes of five RJD members and seven independents.

The JMM, which has 18 legislators, got support of five members of ruling alliance partner All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).

The BJP, which also has 18 legislators, secured the votes of two Janata Dal-United members.

The second main opposition party, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P), which has 11 legislators, stayed away from voting.

The two Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant as the terms of BJP's Ahluwalia and Congress' Mabel Rebello ended.

The polling had taken place March 30 but the Election Commission of India countermanded this after Rs.2.15 crore was seized from vehicle of a relative of an independent candidate.