Voting for Rajya Sabha polls underway in Bihar Assembly
Patna, March 16
Voting for five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar was underway at the Assembly on Monday with leaders from both the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the opposition Mahagathbandhan arriving to cast their votes.
The polling process began at 9 a.m. and will continue until 4 p.m., while counting of votes will start at 5 p.m., and the final results are expected to be declared shortly afterwards.
Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav cast his vote and launched a sharp attack on Nitish Kumar and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
He alleged that since Nitish Kumar left the INDIA bloc in 2024 and joined the NDA, the BJP has been plotting politically against him.
"The BJP used a trick on Nitish Kumar to remove him from the Chief Minister's post. It will be similar to what happened with Eknath Shinde after the Maharashtra elections. In the coming days, the BJP will destroy the Janata Dal-United," he said.
On the other hand, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary arrived at the Assembly flashing a victory sign, reflecting confidence within the ruling alliance.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha said that the representatives elected to the Rajya Sabha would raise Bihar's voice strongly at the national level and work for the state's development.
Meanwhile, senior JD-U leader Vijay Chaudhary also expressed confidence that all five NDA candidates would win comfortably.
Senior leaders and MLAs of the NDA were among the first to cast their votes.
RJD MLA Anita Devi also exercised her franchise.
Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar arrived at the House to supervise the voting process.
The election has drawn intense political attention because six candidates are contesting for five seats.
To secure victory, a candidate must obtain 41 first-preference votes.
If a candidate fails to reach this threshold, second-preference votes will be counted to determine the winner.
This has increased the importance of every vote and heightened speculation about political manoeuvring.
The NDA has fielded five candidates - Nitish Kumar and Ram Nath Thakur (JD-U), Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar (BJP), and Upendra Kushwaha (RLM).
The opposition Mahagathbandhan has fielded Amarendra Dhari Singh as its candidate.
Amid the political contest, reports that two Congress MLAs were initially out of contact created tension in the opposition camp.
However, RJD leader Chandrashekhar Singh dismissed the concerns, stating that the Grand Alliance is contesting the election with full strength and confidence.
With both the ruling alliance and the opposition claiming victory, the political atmosphere in Bihar remains highly charged.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an observer, the process seems quite complex with the first-preference and second-preference votes. It's good to see a detailed report. The confidence on both sides shows a healthy, competitive democracy at the state level.
All this political maneuvering while Bihar needs development. Deputy CM Sinha said they will raise Bihar's voice, but will they? We need MPs who work for roads, schools, and jobs, not just switch alliances. The common man is tired of this 'khela'. 🙏
The report about two Congress MLAs being out of contact is the real spice! This is where the actual 'game' happens. Hope the process remains fair and the votes are cast without any pressure. JD-U seems confident, but let's see the final count.
Respectfully, while the political commentary is sharp, the article could have provided more context on what the Rajya Sabha actually does for a state like Bihar. The focus is entirely on the horse-race, not the policy impact.
Good to see the process is underway smoothly. The victory sign from the Deputy CM says it all. NDA should win comfortably as they have the numbers. Fingers crossed for a result that brings stability. Jai Bihar! 🇮🇳
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