Jharkhand appears headed for a rare multi-cornered contest in the upcoming biennial Rajya Sabha elections as political uncertainty deepens over selection of candidate by the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha ( JMM) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With June 8 being the last date for filing nominations and Sunday falling on a holiday, prospective candidates effectively have only two working days left to submit their papers. So far, only one nomination paper has been sold, and that too to an independent candidate, underscoring the suspense surrounding the election. Political observers believe the contest could turn into a quadrangular battle if the current positions adopted by the JMM, Congress and BJP remain unchanged and independent candidates also enter the fray. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the CPI(ML), the other constituents of the ruling alliance, are maintaining a wait-and-watch approach. CPI(ML) state secretary Manoj Bhakt said the party was closely monitoring the fast-changing political developments and would take a decision at an appropriate time. RJD state spokesperson Kailash Yadav said, “We will wait for the final command of our party chief Lalu Yadav.”

Amid the evolving political situation, the BJP also convened a meeting of its legislature party on Friday evening to chalk out its strategy. While the party has already announced its decision to field a candidate, the final call on the nominee will be taken by its central election committee. With the nomination deadline fast approaching and major parties yet to formally announce their candidates, political activity has intensified in the state. If the present political signals from JMM, Congress and BJP are any indication, Jharkhand could witness one of its most closely watched Rajya Sabha elections in recent years, with multiple contenders vying for the two upper house seats.