The Congress's defeat in the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha election despite the INDIA bloc's numerical advantage has sparked a blame game among alliance partners.
Congress accused the RJD and CPI(ML) of betraying the alliance, while both parties denied the charge and claimed their MLAs voted for the Congress candidate.
The BJP-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani won the election, exposing fault lines within the ruling alliance.
The Congress's unexpected defeat in the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha election has triggered a bitter war of words within the INDIA bloc, with the party accusing its allies of betrayal despite the ruling coalition enjoying a numerical majority in the Assembly.
The result has exposed growing tensions between alliance partners, particularly after differences had already surfaced over candidate selection and political accommodation ahead of the election.
Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju alleged that while the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha backed the Congress candidate, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation betrayed the alliance.
"We received all 16 votes of the Congress and four surplus votes from the JMM, taking our tally to 20. However, this result is a consequence of the betrayal by the RJD and CPI(ML)," Raju said.
RJD Rejects 'Betrayal' Charge
The RJD strongly rejected the allegations, accusing the Congress of attempting to shift blame for its own failure.
State minister and RJD MLA Sanjay Prasad Yadav said all four RJD legislators voted for the Congress candidate.
"RJD operates according to its policies and rules; all four votes of the party MLAs went to the Congress," he said.
Yadav also questioned how the Congress leadership failed to identify issues within its own ranks despite remaining in constant touch with its legislators.
RJD general secretary Bhola Yadav also dismissed the allegations and urged the Congress to introspect instead of blaming allies.
CPI(ML) Says MLAs Voted For Congress
The CPI(ML) also denied the Congress's allegations, maintaining that both its MLAs voted as agreed.
In a post on X, party general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said the votes had been verified by senior party leaders.
"Our two MLAs voted for the Congress candidate as planned," he said.
CPI(ML) MLA Arup Chatterjee added that larger parties often shifted blame onto smaller allies while avoiding accountability.
Nathwani Wins Despite INDIA Bloc Numbers
The controversy erupted after BJP-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani secured victory in the Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand despite the INDIA bloc's apparent numerical advantage.
JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram won comfortably with 30 votes, while Congress nominee Pranav Jha suffered a surprise defeat.
Of the 81 votes cast in the Assembly, three were declared invalid.
The outcome has been viewed as a major political embarrassment for the Congress and has intensified speculation of cross-voting within the INDIA alliance, further straining relations among its constituents.
