India, June 18 -- A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed independent candidate won one of the two Rajya Sabha seats from Jharkhand on Wednesday, with media reports attributing the outcome to cross-voting by MLAs from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the CPI(ML).

While JMM nominee Baijnath Ram comfortably secured a seat, independent candidate Parimal Nathwani, backed by the BJP-led NDA, defeated Congress candidate Pranav Jha in a closely watched contest.

Ram received 30 votes, Nathwani secured 28, while Jha managed 19 votes. Three votes were declared invalid.

As per NDTV's sources, MLAs from the RJD and CPI(ML), both part of the broader opposition alliance in the state, voted in favour of Nathwani. The RJD has four MLAs in the Jharkhan...