BJP wants enquiry into RS elections in Jharkhand

Defending itself for voting in favour of a candidate of its coalition partner JMM in the recent Rajya Sabha polls in Jharkhand, the BJP today said they want an enquiry into the election of Independent candidates to the upper house from the state.

"We will welcome a comprehensive enquiry from any agency including CBI not only into the recent development in the Rajya Sabha poll but also in the past," Jharkhand state unit president of BJP, Dineshanand Goswami, said.

He hailed Chief Election Commission's decision to cancel the polls following the recovery of Rs 2.15 crores from a vehicle belonging to a relative of Independent candidate R K Agarwal.

Goswami defended party's central leadership's decision to vote in favour of JMM candidate Sanjeev Kumar even though it had earlier decided to abstain from voting.

"The party leadership changed its stand and decided to vote for our major coalition partner JMM's candidate to prevent horse-trading," he clarified.

Goswami said JVM was the first party in the state to announce the name of its candidate Pravin Singh for the RS poll but they had promoted two independent candidates R K Agarwal and Pawan Dhoot to contest the poll.

While two of JVM MLAs proposed the name of Dhoot, party supremo Babulal Marandi and MP Dr Ajay Kumar supported Agarwal, the BJP leader said.