The NDA in Bihar comprising BJP and JD(U), Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi are on the losing ground. Not only in the by-elections of which results were declared on Wednesday they were humiliated the two leaders and their respective parties also lost seas in the biennial Rajya Sabha election. Furthermore, they are also bound to lose seats in the upcoming legislative Council polls later this month.
The BJP lost Araria lok Sabha and JD(U) was defeated in Jehanabad Assembly seat in the by-polls. A few days back Nitish’s party strength further reduced in the Rajya Sabha. Against its four retiring members the party could retain only two seats. Similarly, two members of the BJP, both Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Dharmendra Pradhan retired from the Upper House but only Prasad could be nominated. In the biennial election since there were only six candidates against equal number of vacancies polling was not held and all the six candidates: two each of JD(U) and RJD and one each of BJP and Congress were declared elected uncontested on Thursday. The JD(U) retained Bashistha Narain Singh and King Mahendra Singh, Manoj Jha and Ahmad Ashfaq Karim of RJD, Ravi Shankar Prasad of BJP and Akhilesh Singh of Congress.
Once again RJD was the gainer in both the by-election and biennial election.
The NDA will lose further in the biennial election to the legislative Council as 11 seats are going to be vacant on May 6. Nitish and Sushil Modi are among the Council members to retire. In this election too JD(U) strength in the State Upper House will be reduced by three and BJP by one seat. The gainer, once again will be the RJD and Congress.
Rabri Devi is also completing her term and she along with two others from the RJD would be elected on party’s strength in the Assembly. Congress will not only win one seat it could help RJD win fourth seat with its surplus votes. In Council election each candidate would need votes of 21 MlAs and the two parties together have 106 MlAs.
Not only that Rabri Devi after her re-election would be made leader of opposition in the Council, a status she was denied last year because her party had less members than required for this status. Now the strength of RJD will increase to ten or eleven. With this the mother and son will both be leaders of opposition in the both the Houses. Tejashwi Prasad Yadav is already leader of opposition in the Assembly.