Ranchi, Jun 14 (PTI) CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Sunday said that both MLAs of the party will cast their votes in favour of the INDIA bloc in the June 18 Rajya Sabha polls in Jharkhand.
He also alleged that the “ploy” chalked out by the BJP of supporting an Independent candidate would be foiled.
JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram, Congress nominee Pranav Jha and BJP-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani are contesting for the two Rajya Sabha seats in the state.
“The CPI(ML) Liberation votes will go in favour of the INDIA bloc candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls in the state. Our (two) MLAs here will cast their votes accordingly,” Bhattacharya told reporters, while addressing media persons here.
He said two polling agents have also been appointed.
“We hope the BJP’s ploy of fielding Parimal Nathwani as an Independent candidate will be foiled, with legislators voting against him,” he added.
The BJP-led NDA does not have the numbers in the state assembly to make Nathwani a winner in the polls, unless there is cross-voting.
For victory, a candidate is required to secure a minimum of 28 first-preference votes.
In the Jharkhand Assembly, the INDIA bloc has 56 members, comprising 34 from the JMM, 16 from the Congress, four from the RJD and two from CPI(ML) Liberation.
The NDA has 24 MLAs — 21 from the BJP and one each from the LJP (Ram Vilas), AJSU Party and the JD(U). The Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha has one MLA.
One of the Rajya Sabha seats in the state fell vacant following the death of JMM co-founder Shibu Soren. The other vacancy is due to the completion of BJP member Deepak Prakash on June 21.
Bhattacharya also raised protests against rising fuel prices, alleging that this led to an increase in the cost of essential commodities.
“This burden of inflation is now unbearable. Moreover, the wages in the country are simply not worth living on. That is why a nationwide workers’ movement is currently underway to increase wages,” he said.
Bhattacharya said a nationwide campaign will be carried out from June 15 to July 15 seeking work for workers in villages and towns.
He said they also support the students’ protest against the paper leak and the demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. PTI SAN NN
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