NDA sweeps Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP President Nitin Nabin, Union Minister Ramnath Thakur, and Independent candidate Dilip Ray from Odisha comfortably won Rajya Sabha seats in Monday’s biennial elections.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured all five seats in Bihar, with victorious candidates including Nitish Kumar, Nitin Nabin, BJP’s Shivesh Kumar, JD(U)’s Ram Nath Thakur, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha. Sources said all 202 NDA MLAs voted, while three Congress and one RJD MLA were absent. AIMIM and BSP MLAs voted for RJD candidate Amarendra Dhari Singh, but the absence of opposition MLAs prevented a seat gain. The Bihar NDA alliance includes JD(U), LNJP, HAM, and RLM.In Odisha, NDA won two of four seats, with BJP leaders Manmohan Samal and incumbent Sujeet Kumar elected.

Independent Dilip Ray, backed by the BJP, also triumphed, reportedly due to cross-voting by BJD and Congress MLAs. BJD’s Santrupt Misra secured the remaining seat, ensuring the party’s continued presence in the Rajya Sabha. The Odisha elections witnessed intense activity, including a brief halt over a ballot paper dispute and allegations of attempts at influence, highlighting the competitive nature of the polls.

Voting in Haryana was temporarily suspended after BJP and Congress candidates objected to certain votes, while counting for Haryana and Himachal Pradesh Rajya Sabha seats was ongoing as of the last reports.

Political analysts noted that the results in both Bihar and Odisha reflect the NDA’s strong organisational base and the impact of cross-voting in regional parties. The success of Independent candidate Dilip Ray in Odisha underscores the continuing influence of veteran leaders supported by the alliance, while Bihar’s clean sweep consolidates the NDA’s hold in the State legislature ahead of future electoral battles.