Cong likely to get one RS seat from JMM-Cong alliance in Jharkhand

NEW DELHI: Congress is likely to get a Rajya Sabha seat from its alliance with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in Jharkhand, said sources on Sunday.

The two Rajya Sabha seats will fall vacant from Jharkhand after the retirement of BJP leaders Mahesh Poddar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

Speaking to ANI over the alliance with JMM in the Rajya Sabha polls, Rajesh Thakur, Jharkhand Congress President said, "Till now the decision no decision has been taken but we can say that positive talks have been taken place between National President Sonia Gandhi and Hemant Soren. The discussion was also held with the organization in charge KC Venugopal and we understand a positive outcome will come today for the Congress."

The State Congress President further said that a person from Jharkhand should go to the Rajya Sabha.

"A leader from Jharkhand should go to Rajya Sabha. Still, we will follow what our president Sonia Gandhi says. The list will come today and positive talks were held (with JMM) and I can say that there will be a Congress candidate," he added.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren also met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Saturday and held a discussion over the current political situation in the state and Rajya Sabha polls.

"I met Sonia Gandhi and gave her the details about the Rajya Sabha elections. There are two Rajya Sabha seats in the state, we had a discussion about that. All the details about the matter will be released in some time," said Soren.

"He has given a positive response on Congress' demand for a Rajya Sabha berth from the state. The final decision will be taken soon," said sources.

Elections to 57 Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant due to the retirement of members from 15 states will be held on June 10.

The members are retiring on different dates between June 21 and August 1.

Eleven seats are due to fall vacant from Uttar Pradesh this year, while six members each will retire from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Five Rajya Sabha MPs will retire from Bihar while four each will depart from Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Apart from these, seats will fall vacant when three members each from Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, two each from Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Punjab, Haryana and Jharkhand, and one from Uttarakhand retire.

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