Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren today said in New Delhi that the ruling coalition in the state led by his party JMM would field a joint candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat.
He claimed that the coalition comprising JMM, Congress and RJD “is likely to win". He dismissed suggestions that there was any discord with ally Congress.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, however, did not specify whether the candidate would be from his party or the Congress and said the announcement of the candidate would be made from Ranchi.
Interacting with reporters in the national capital, Mr Soren said he was visiting Delhi specially for deliberations on Rajya Sabha polls following the JMM's legislative party meeting on Saturday.
"In the contest of Rajya Sabha polls, it was important to talk to other parties of the coalition, especially the Congress people. I met Sonia Gandhi ji yesterday and we deliberated on many issues, including the Rajya Sabha polls candidature, for over an hour," he said.
"There is agreement on certain issues and I think that this will be implemented on the ground. There will be one candidate on behalf of the coalition in the state. Bear with us as we would take some more time in taking this issue to its conclusion. The announcement in this regard would be made in Jharkhand," the chief minister told reporters.
There are two vacant RS seats. If JMM led coalition puts up a joint candidate, the opposition comprising JMM, AJSU and others are also expected to field a candidate. In effect, there may not be any horse-trading.