Jharkhand Congress in-charge K. Raju and Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka met Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday to discuss fielding a Congress candidate from one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand going to the polls on June 18.

One seat became vacant following the death of former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) president and former CM Shibu Soren last year. The second will fall vacant on June 21 when the term of BJP leader Deepak Prakash ends.

Earlier, interacting with mediapersons after arriving at the Ranchi airport, Mr. Raju said, “We will sit with the CM to discuss the strategy for the election and our candidate.”

On whether the party would field a local candidate or an outsider, Mr. Raju said only a local candidate would be considered. “The party is zeroing in on a local candidate. We have already informed this to the party high command. Earlier, we saw non-local candidates being elected to the Rajya Sabha in other States, but we have told the high command that in Jharkhand, the people’s sentiment is very strong, so it would be wise to field a local candidate,” he said.

Former State Congress president Rajesh Thakur and former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay are the front runners for the seat, according to party sources.

“Who will go to the Upper House and who will be the candidate will be decided by the high command based on the reports of the State in-charge and other leaders,” State Congress president Keshav Mahto Kamlesh said.

Of the 81 seats in the Assembly, the JMM-led ruling alliance has 56 MLAs, including 34 of the JMM, 16 of the Congress, four of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and two of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation. The Opposition alliance has 24 MLAs: 21 from the BJP, and one each from the All Jharkhand Students Union, Janata Dal (United), and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). The House also has an Independent legislator.

According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the notification for the Rajya Sabha election will be issued on June 1. Candidates can file nomination papers till June 8. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on June 9. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is June 11. Voting will take place on June 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Counting of votes will begin on the same day at 5 p.m.