INDIA Bloc Clash: CPI(ML) Protests Congress Rajya Sabha Claims

CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya has issued a strong protest to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The dispute centers on allegations blaming CPI(ML) legislators for the defeat of the Congress nominee in the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha elections held on June 18, 2026.

CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya has written to Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge strongly protesting the false and malicious allegations being levelled against CPI(ML) Liberation MLAs in connection with the Rajya Sabha election held in Jharkhand on June 18, 2026.

Below is the full text of the letter:

Ref: CPIML/CO-1/INDIA/2026/0619 June 19, 2026

To, SHRI. MALLIKARJUN KHARGE President, Indian National Congress

Dear Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji,

We are shocked to see that the Congress is blaming our MLAs in Jharkhand for the defeat of Congress nominee Pranav Jha in the Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand on 18 June. This is a malicious lie. Both our MLAs voted for Mr. Jha as planned in the meeting of opposition MLAs. Our polling agents duly verified the votes before the ballots were cast.

I write to you to express our strong protest against the wholly unfounded and malicious propaganda against our MLAs and the attempted tarnishing of our party’s image. In election after election our MLAs in Bihar and Jharkhand have voted for opposition candidates in Rajya Sabha. As you know, our party has been one of the most committed constituents of the INDIA bloc since its formation.

We call upon you to ask Congress leaders to stop making unverified and unwarranted allegations against allies that undermine mutual trust among parties of the INDIA bloc.

Given the wide publicity the malicious lie has got in the media, we are constrained to release this letter to the public.

With sincere regards,

DIPANKAR BHATTACHARYA General Secretary, CPI(ML) Liberation mail@cpiml.org | cpimlhq@gmail.com

Future Outlook

The public fallout between the alliance partners highlights growing friction within the INDIA bloc as they navigate state-level seat sharing and joint legislative contests. Observers note that maintaining coalition unity will require formal conflict-resolution mechanisms to address polling disputes before they spill into public media spaces.

FAQs

Why did CPI(ML) write a letter to the Congress President?

CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya sent the letter to formally protest allegations made by Congress leaders claiming CPI(ML) legislators were responsible for the defeat of Congress nominee Pranav Jha in Jharkhand.

When did the Jharkhand Rajya Sabha election take place?

The voting for the Rajya Sabha seat in Jharkhand was conducted on June 18, 2026, leading to immediate political friction the following day.

Did the CPI(ML) legislators verify their votes?

Yes, the party confirmed that its polling agents officially verified the ballots cast by both of its MLAs in support of the alliance candidate before submission.