In an unexpected move the JD(U) dropped the name of its national general secretary KC Tyagi while re-nominating its members to Rajya Sabha of which biennial election is under way. The party has retained its former President Sharad Yadav and bureaucrat-turned-politician RCP Singh.
The election to the Rajya Sabha for five vacant seats will be held on June 1. There had been wide expectations that Yadav and Tyagi might be retained. All the five retiring members of the Upper House belonged to JD(U) but in view of the current strength of the party in the Assembly, it can send only two while two would be from RJD and one from BJP.
Tyagi’s retention was viewed in the party as definite in the context of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s growing aspiration to emerge on the national political spectrum and also in view of the Assembly polls in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh where Nitish has started attempts to unite the smaller parties.
RCP Singh, an IAS of UP cadre who resigned six years back from the service, had joined active politics and was appointed in Rajya Sabha in 2010. Singh served with Nitish when he was Union Minister and later when he became Chief Minister in 2005. Both belong to same caste, Kurmi, and same region, Nalanda.
Singh, a close aide of Nitish for a long time, seemingly prevailed upon his friend to retain him as an MP. There had been reports that he might be made an MlC and later a Minister in the Nitish Cabinet, however the former bureaucrat, whose daughter cracked the top civil exam this year, reportedly turned down the proposal.
Others who have been ignored on completion of their short terms are Pavan Kumar Varma and Ghulam Rasoool Baliavi. Varma, a former diplomat, also served as Nitish’s Cultural Adviser with Ministerial status. Baliavi, also known as a religious figure, will get a solace in the shape of membership of legislative Council. Both Varma and Baliavi besides Yadav had been elected to Rajya Sabha only a couple of years back in 2014 by-election.
The party will contest two Council seats and CP Sinha is another candidate apart from Baliavi, said Bihar JD(U) president Bashistha Narain Singh. Election will be held for the seven vacant seats of the Council. RJD is likely to win three seats and BJP two. But the Congress is also staking claim on at least one of the seven seats.
With the indications from the RJD side, there could be all possibility of an election for the Council seats as neither RJD nor Congress are in a mood to leave two seats for the BJP. The saffron party is all set to field two candidates but if there is an eighth candidate in the fray the Assembly members would be required to cast their votes.