By Gyan Ranjan
Ranchi: The famous Surf Excel slogan, “Daag Achhe Hain” (Stains are Good), appears to have found a political parallel in Jharkhand. Following the Rajya Sabha election results, the war of words among the Congress, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the CPI(ML)—all constituents of the INDIA alliance—dominated the state’s political discourse.
Congress leaders accused the RJD of betraying the alliance and even demanded that it be removed from the government. The RJD hit back by questioning Congress’ political record and urged Chief Minister Hemant Soren to drop Congress from the coalition. CPI(ML), meanwhile, wrote a strongly worded letter to the Chief Minister, criticising Congress’ functioning and raising several concerns about its role within the alliance.
According to the author, the public confrontation appears to be less about principle and more about political positioning. Despite the sharp exchanges, the intensity of the conflict faded within days, suggesting that preserving the coalition government remains the top priority for all partners.
The Rajya Sabha election itself has left several unanswered questions. BJP-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani secured victory despite the ruling alliance’s numerical advantage in the Assembly, fuelling speculation about cross-voting within the INDIA bloc. While the alliance has announced a review of the election outcome, the identity of those responsible for the unexpected result remains unknown.
The author argues that the continuing public accusations among alliance partners have done little to improve Jharkhand’s political image. Instead, they have intensified public curiosity over what transpired behind closed doors, including speculation surrounding alleged “hotel politics” during the election.
With Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren currently outside the state, leaders from the ruling alliance have continued exchanging accusations in public, while those involved in the election have largely remained silent.
The larger question now is whether the Rajya Sabha result will have lasting political consequences for Jharkhand.
Congress Faces Difficult Questions
In the author’s view, the election outcome has placed the Congress organisation and its leadership under renewed scrutiny.
Congress entered the election expressing confidence about its candidate’s victory. However, the final result told a different story. Despite the alliance possessing the required numbers, Congress candidate Pranav Jha failed to secure the expected level of support, raising questions about coordination within both the party and the coalition.
The central issue, the author argues, is straightforward: if the alliance stood united, why did the Congress candidate receive fewer votes than anticipated?
Rather than first examining its own organisational shortcomings, Congress leaders publicly blamed alliance partners immediately after the results. According to the author, such allegations, made without publicly available evidence, risk appearing as attempts to shift attention away from internal weaknesses.
Both the RJD and CPI(ML) rejected Congress’ accusations and instead questioned Congress’ own organisational management and leadership. This exchange has exposed visible strains within the alliance.
The author contends that Congress must seriously evaluate its internal discipline, coordination and leadership if it hopes to remain an effective force within the coalition. Simply attributing disappointing results to coalition partners will not resolve deeper organisational issues.
The Rajya Sabha election, therefore, has become more than a contest for two parliamentary seats. It has emerged as a test of the INDIA alliance’s internal cohesion and Congress’ organisational strength. Whether the party chooses self-assessment or continues to blame its allies may shape not only the future of the alliance but also the direction of Jharkhand politics in the months ahead.