Elections for Rajya Sabha seats are scheduled for March 16th. Asaduddin Owaisi’s party has decided to field its own candidate, dealing a significant blow to the RJD. This time, there are 10 states contesting Rajya Sabha elections, with a combined total of 37 seats. Five of these seats in Bihar will become vacant after the retirement of sitting members. Bihar has 16 seats in the upper house of Parliament. The retiring members include Harivansh Narayan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur of the Janata Dal (United), Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
Based on the current assembly numbers, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has enough numbers to win four of the five seats without much difficulty. The opposition Grand Alliance comprises the RJD, Congress, and three Left parties. They have 35 MLAs, including 25 from the RJD, six from the Congress, two from the CPI(ML) Liberation, and one each from the CPI and the Indian Inclusive Party.
Election to a Rajya Sabha seat in Bihar requires 41 first-preference votes. If five MLAs from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and one MLA from the BSP support the Grand Alliance candidate, the opposition will receive exactly 41 votes and can secure the fifth seat.
Previously sought RJD support
AIMIM has now decided to field its own candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections. The party’s Bihar president, Akhtarul Iman, has announced that AIMIM will contest the elections and has appealed to other opposition parties, including the RJD, for support. This move is being seen as a response to the strained relations between AIMIM and RJD during the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections. At that time, AIMIM representatives visited RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav’s residence to request an alliance, but the offer was rejected.
The subsequent campaign saw heated debate between the two parties. AIMIM ultimately won five assembly seats, while RJD secured 25. According to RJD sources, the party was considering fielding its current Rajya Sabha member, Amarendra Dhari Singh, for one seat.
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