What happened
The INDIA bloc runs Jharkhand's assembly with 56 of 81 seats — comfortably enough to win both available Rajya Sabha berths. The BJP-led opposition had 24, which was four short of what it needed to win even one. On the eve of the election, the BJP moved all 24 of its legislators into a hotel to protect them from being poached. The ruling coalition, comfortable in its numbers, held mock voting exercises at the Chief Minister's residence. On June 18, JMM's candidate won the first seat with 30 votes. BJP-backed independent Parimal Nathwani won the second with exactly 28 — which means at least four ruling-bloc MLAs voted against their own coalition's candidate. Congress's Pranav Jha received 20 votes and lost a seat his alliance had the arithmetic to guarantee. This is Nathwani's fourth Rajya Sabha term from Jharkhand, having also previously represented Andhra Pradesh.