Rajya Sabha Elections Today in Jharkhand and Mizoram: Ruling Alliances Hold Advantage as Voting Begins

June 18, 2026 : Voting for two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand and the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Mizoram is being held today, with counting scheduled to begin in the evening. The elections are expected to test the strength of ruling alliances in both states, although the numbers appear to favour the incumbent parties.

In Jharkhand, polling will take place in the Legislative Assembly from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for two Rajya Sabha seats. The contest features Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Baidyanath Ram, Congress nominee Pranav Jha, and Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani. All 81 members of the Assembly are eligible to vote. The ruling alliance, comprising JMM, Congress, RJD and CPI(ML), currently enjoys the support of 56 legislators, while the opposition camp, backed by 24 MLAs, has extended support to Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani. Counting of votes will commence at 5 p.m., and the results are expected to be announced shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, voting is also underway for Mizoram’s sole Rajya Sabha seat. Polling is being conducted at the Assembly building in Aizawl from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with vote counting scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. According to Assembly Secretariat officials, the election will decide the state’s lone representative in the Upper House of Parliament.

The ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) has fielded its spokesperson K. Laltluangkima, while the opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) has nominated advocate and writer Zothansangi Hmar. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have opted to abstain from voting in the election.

The contest in Mizoram is widely expected to favour the ruling ZPM, which holds a comfortable majority in the 40-member Assembly with 27 legislators. The MNF has 10 members, while the BJP and Congress have two and one MLA respectively. The final outcome is expected to be known later in the evening after the completion of vote counting.