Jharkhand Rajya Sabha voting begins amid tight security and cross-voting concerns

Voting for two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand commenced Thursday morning at the state assembly complex amid adequate security arrangements. Three candidates are contesting: BJP-backed Independent nominee Parimal Nathwani, JMM's Baidyanath Ram, and Congress's Pranav Jha. Polling began at 9 am and will continue until 4 pm, with vote counting expected to start at 5 pm.

The BJP-led NDA has 24 MLAs in the 81-member assembly, falling four votes short of the 28 required to secure one seat. The ruling INDIA bloc, comprising JMM and Congress with 56 combined members, is confident of winning both seats. JMM's Baidyanath Ram is expected to secure victory given his party's 34-member strength in the House.