Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], June 6 (ANI): Jharkhand's Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs, Sudivya Kumar, urged Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to contest the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections on two seats, while emphasising that the final decision will rest with Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, 'It is the demand of the workers that JMM should contest on the two seats. The final decision will be taken by the Chief Minister.'

Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Pradeep Yadav highlighted the continued unity of the INDIA alliance. 'The unity of the INDIA alliance will be clearly visible. It is essential for the state and the country that secular forces and the alliance remain united. If we part ways at this crucial juncture, the issue will not merely be about a single Rajya Sabha seat; it will become a matter concerning the people of the country,' he said.

Earlier, on Friday, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) announced the appointment of senior leaders Bhupesh Baghel and Ajay Sharma as observers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections in Jharkhand.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for the appointment with immediate effect. Congress on Thursday released its list of seven candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled to be held on June 18. The list includes party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who has been nominated from Karnataka.

The party has also nominated Mansoor Ali Khan and Pawan Khera from Karnataka, Meenakshi Natarajan from Madhya Pradesh. Neeraj Dangi has been nominated from Rajasthan, while Praveen Chakravarty has been fielded from Tamil Nadu and Pranav Jha from Jharkhand.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also released its official list of 11 candidates. The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the party finalised the names of representatives across key states to contest the Upper House polls. The list features several prominent state leaders, organisational heavyweights, and key strategists as the party looks to consolidate its upper-house strength.

Earlier, the Election Commission issued a notification for biennial elections to 24 Rajya Sabha seats from ten states. This includes four seats each in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, three seats each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, two seats in Jharkhand, and one seat each in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya. The filing of nominations has begun, and the last date is June 8. Notification was also issued for the Rajya Sabha bypoll for a seat each in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha. (ANI)