Congress MLA Skips Rajya Sabha Polls Citing RJD's "Disrespect" to State Chief

Congress MLA Manoj Vishwas, who did not participate in the voting, claimed that his absence was in line with the direction of Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram.

Vishwas, an MLA from Forbesganj in Araria district, told IANS that the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had fielded Amrendra Dhari Singh, a candidate from the Bhumihar community, without consulting the Congress leadership in the state.

"The RJD did not consult our state president, Rajesh Ram. Therefore, Ram allowed us to make our own decision on whether to vote or not. Hence, I had decided not to vote in the Rajya Sabha election," Vishwas said.

He further added that many Congress legislators represent Dalit, OBC and minority communities. "If our leadership is not given due respect, how can we support the candidate?" he asked, while reiterating his loyalty to the Indian National Congress.

The Mahagathbandhan candidate Amrendra Dhari Singh belongs to the Bhumihar community, and his campaign was led by senior Congress leader Akhilesh Singh, who is from the same caste group.

The abstaining MLAs indicated that caste dynamics and lack of coordination within the alliance influenced their decision.

Apart from Manoj Vishwas, Congress MLAs Surendra Kushwaha and Manohar Prasad Singh also stayed away from voting, along with RJD MLA Faisal Rahman.

According to Vinay Yadav, the media incharge of Surendra Kushwaha, the MLA, was dissatisfied with the candidate selection and believed that RJD leader Deepak Yadav should have been fielded instead.

Manohar Prasad Singh, MLA from Manihari, said the alliance failed to nominate a candidate from the Dalit, minority or OBC communities.

He termed his abstention a protest against the decision but clarified that he would continue to remain in the Congress.

Meanwhile, family sources of Faisal Rahman stated that he could not participate in the voting due to personal reasons, as he is in Delhi for the treatment of his ailing mother.

The absence of these MLAs proved crucial, as they weakened the Mahagathbandhan's position and contributed to the NDA winning all five seats in the Rajya Sabha elections from Bihar.

The episode has highlighted internal rifts within the Opposition alliance, with issues of coordination, representation and caste balance emerging as key factors behind the abstentions.

- IANS