Why does INDIA alliance, which starts from Delhi, lose its strength by the time it reaches the states? This time the tableau was seen in Jharkhand

By Samira Vishwas On Jun 19, 2026

When the leaders of INDIA alliance appear on a stage in Delhi, the picture looks quite strong. The message is given to save the Constitution, protect democracy and fight together against BJP. But as soon as this alliance enters the politics of the states, the picture starts changing. Regional ambitions, local equations, leadership conflicts and seat politics often weaken the unity that is demonstrated at the national level. The latest result of Jharkhand Rajya Sabha elections has emerged as the biggest example of this contradiction.

Has the real weakness of the INDIA alliance been exposed?

In terms of numerical strength in the Jharkhand Assembly, the INDIA alliance had enough votes to win both the Rajya Sabha seats. There are a total of 56 MLAs including 34 MLAs from Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), 16 from Congress, 4 from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and 2 from CPI-ML. 56 votes were enough for two Rajya Sabha seats also. That means the mathematics was completely in favor of the alliance.

There are two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand. To win both the seats, votes of 56 MLAs are needed. JMM – 34CONG – 16RJD – 4LEFT – 2, totaling 56 MLAs. JMM’s Baidyanath Ram and CONG’s Pranav Jha both could have won comfortably. But Reliance official Piramal Nathwani gave Pranav Jha the victory. pic.twitter.com/2cI8PBpB3X
— Kranti Kumar (@KrantiKumar) June 18, 2026

Despite this, JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram won, but Congress candidate Pranab Jha lost. On the other hand, NDA supported industrialists and former Rajya Sabha MPs Parimal Nathwani Were successful in registering victory. This is the point from where questions started being raised on the unity of the alliance.

How did the game happen with Congress?

Congress claims that some MLAs of RJD and CPI-ML did cross voting. But the available data does not fully prove this claim. CPI-ML General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya has publicly said that both his MLAs had voted for the Congress candidate. During voting in Rajya Sabha elections, there is a process of showing the votes to the polling agent, hence the possibility of cross voting from CPI-ML is considered relatively less.

If we look at the figures, Congress (16), RJD (4) and CPI-ML (2) get a total of 22 votes. To win, Congress needed six votes in addition to JMM. But Pranab Jha got only 19 votes, out of which one vote was rejected. This means that the whole story cannot be understood just by raising questions on RJD or CPI-ML. Somewhere there seems to be a breach in other parts of the alliance as well.

It has become clear from the results of Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand state that Congress failed to get the support of all its own MLAs. Before making unreasonable allegations against other parties without thinking, one should introspect and think about the fact that in the biennial meeting of the Rajya Sabha in the month of March… pic.twitter.com/1plEQOksMz
— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) June 19, 2026

Did JMM leave Congress to fend for itself?

Today, this is the biggest discussion in the political circles of Jharkhand. Chief Minister Hemant Soren ensured the victory of his candidate Baidyanath Ram, but did not show as much activism for the Congress candidate as was expected to strengthen the alliance. If JMM’s additional votes had been completely transferred to the Congress candidate, the result could have been different.

This is why this Jharkhand election is being considered not only as a defeat for Congress but also as a sign of lack of trust within the alliance. The question is also arising whether the state’s biggest ally has left Congress alone politically?

As for speculations over Jharkhand Rajya Sabha voting, we can tell with full responsibility that our two MLAs voted for the Congress candidate as planned. Two of our senior leaders PBM Haldhar Mahato and CCM Geeta Mandal duly verified the votes cast by @cpimliberation MLAs.
— Dipankar (@Dipankar_cpiml) June 18, 2026

Why unity in Delhi, distrust in states?

This is the biggest challenge of the INDIA alliance. In Delhi, all the parties seem united on the anti-BJP agenda, but in the states the same parties are also political rivals of each other. Congress and Trinamool Congress remain face to face in West Bengal. Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have different interests in Punjab. Congress and Left parties are in direct competition in Kerala. There has been tension from time to time regarding leadership and seats in Bihar. In such a situation, the model of unity built at the national level often does not survive in the states. The case of Jharkhand can be considered a glimpse of this broader problem.

Is it just the defeat in Rajya Sabha elections?

Politically its importance is much greater. Whip is not applicable in Rajya Sabha elections, hence such voting often exposes the real situation within the parties. If the MLAs of the alliance are not able to trust each other, then it may become more difficult to maintain coordination in the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections. The Jharkhand incident has also raised the question whether the INDIA alliance appears strong only in press conferences and meetings in Delhi, while once it reaches the states, regional interests overshadow the national strategy.

Jharkhand’s tableau, understand what is the next picture?

Jharkhand Rajya Sabha elections have once again shown that in politics, not just numbers, organization and trust are also equally important. INDIA alliance had the mathematics of victory, but it could not convert it into results. This is the reason why this incident in Jharkhand is being considered not just an electoral defeat but a glimpse of the internal challenges of the alliance. If mistrust among allies increases in the coming months, then this tableau of Jharkhand may also prove to be a trailer of the bigger political picture of the future.