The entry of Gujarat-based businessman and sitting YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP from Andhra Pradesh, Parimal Nathwani, into the Rajya Sabha race in Jharkhand as an NDA-backed Independent candidate has added a fresh layer of intrigue to the June 18 contest for two Upper House seats from the state.
“I share good relations with leaders across political parties. I request all parties to support me,” Nathwani said Monday after filing his nomination.
With Nathwani joining the Rajya Sabha fray along with the JMM’s Dalit face Baidyanath Ram and Congress nominee Pranav Jha, the focus has now shifted to whether the NDA-backed candidate can bridge the gap between the Opposition alliance’s numbers and the votes required for victory.
The arithmetic appears straightforward for one seat, with the ruling JMM comfortably placed to secure it with its strength of 34 MLAs in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. A candidate requires 28 first-preference votes to win.
Things, however, appear more complicated for the second seat. The NDA’s tally of 24 MLAs — BJP (21), LJP-RV (1), JD-U (1), and AJSU Party (1) — currently leaves it four votes short of the required winning number. However, sources in the Congress suggest the BJP could secure the support of Jairam Mahto, the lone MLA of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM).
The JMM-led alliance has a total of 56 MLAs. So if there is no cross-voting in the ruling alliance, both its candidates would sail through.
Nathwani’s Jharkhand links
Nathwani recalled his election to the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand in 2014.
“In 2014, I contested as an Independent and received support from the BJP, AJSU Party and others. There were no allegations of horse-trading then, and there is no question of it now either,” he claimed.
His bid is significant as it comes days after he met Chief Minister Hemant Soren before eventually securing the NDA’s backing.
A businessman and senior corporate executive, Nathwani represented Jharkhand in the Rajya Sabha for two consecutive terms between 2008 and 2020, both times as an Independent. He has highlighted his work in the state through MPLADS-funded projects, village development initiatives and infrastructure works.
Over the years, Nathwani has built relationships across party lines in Jharkhand, leading to speculation that he could attract support beyond the NDA’s official numbers.
Congress-JMM confident
The ruling alliance, however, has dismissed suggestions of any cracks within its ranks. Congress spokesperson Rajesh Thakur said the BJP’s backing of Nathwani reflected compulsion rather than strategy.
“The BJP has completely fallen apart. Their MLAs became proposers for an Independent candidate. They could not field the candidate they initially wanted. This is not a strategy, it is a compulsion,” he said. Earlier, speculation was rife regarding the candidature of Congressman-turned-BJP leader Gaurav Vallabh as an NDA candidate.
Asked whether the Congress could win the seat without the JMM’s support, Thakur said: “Without the (JMM’s) support, how can Congress win? We have 16 MLAs. JMM has 34, RJD has four, and Soren is the leader of the alliance. JMM will definitely support us.”
On the possibility of cross-voting, Thakur said any such move would invite disciplinary action. “Alliance dharma will be followed. If anyone violates it, action will certainly be taken,” he said.
JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya also expressed confidence that the party’s legislators would remain united. “JMM’s MLAs are intact. The rest will decide for themselves,” he said.
Political observers have speculated that, apart from JMM, Nathwani could secure support from some of the four RJD MLAs. However, the RJD rejected such suggestions.
“He (Nathwani) is effectively a BJP-sponsored candidate. We are in opposition to the BJP. Why would we support him?” RJD spokesperson Kailash Yadav told The Indian Express.
Yadav argued that the NDA lacked the numbers required for a win, dismissing claims that the Opposition-backed candidate’s support would come from the ruling alliance too.
‘Outsider versus local’
Beyond the arithmetic, the nominations have also revived the debate over representation. Nathwani has long been at the centre of an “outsider versus local representation” debate in Jharkhand. Originally from Gujarat, he has faced criticism from groups that argue the state should be represented by local leaders.
Congress leader and Health Minister Irfan Ansari questioned the NDA’s backing of Nathwani, asking whether Jharkhand lacked capable local leaders to represent the state in the Rajya Sabha.
He said the state should be represented by someone who understands its culture, aspirations and interests, and appealed to legislators to act in Jharkhand’s best interests.
The polls were necessitated by two vacancies in Jharkhand’s Rajya Sabha representation — one arising after the death of JMM founder and ex-CM Shibu Soren in August 2025, and the other being the completion of BJP MP Deepak Prakash’s six-year term.
Defending the JMM’s choice of Ram, Bhattacharya said the decision reflected the party’s broader approach to representation. “Earlier, we sent Adivasis, women, OBCs and upper-caste leaders to the Rajya Sabha. This time, we have nominated a Scheduled Caste candidate. It shows JMM’s inclusiveness,” he said.
BJP backs Nathwani bid
Defending the NDA’s support for Nathwani, BJP MLA Naveen Jaiswal said the businessman-MP had a “proven track record” of contributing to Jharkhand’s development.
“He (Nathwani) has worked for Jharkhand earlier and has contributed to projects such as IIM Ranchi and other infrastructure initiatives. If he returns to the Rajya Sabha, he will continue to contribute to the state’s development,” Jaiswal said.
Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani files his nomination papers for Rajya Sabha polls, in Ranchi on Monday. (PTI) 
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