Patna: Even as the fate of opposition candidate in Rajya Sabha polls hinges on the fact whether there will be a churn in RJD-AIMIM relationship in coming days, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday convened a meeting of the INDIA bloc`s MLAs to discuss the alliance`s strategy for the polls.
Amid the uncertainty whether AIMIM would extend support of its five MLAs to the opposition candidate, state AIMIM Akhtarul Iman is likely to meet Tejashwi in connection with the RS polls on Wednesday. AIMIM is reportedly demanding an MLC seat in exchange of its support to the opposition candidate in the RS polls.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Tejashwi claimed, "It was a very positive meeting. The upcoming Rajya Sabha elections are approaching, and we are fully confident. Our goal is to win this election. We have enough numbers, that's why we are contesting the elections."
Three Congress MLAs could not attend the meeting due to various reasons. While the party legislator Abidur Rahman is abroad, other party MLA Manohar Prasad Singh was reportedly ill. Congress MLA, Qamarul Hoda, could not attend the meeting due to chief minister Nitish Kumar`s visit to his constituency, Kishanganj, on Wednesday. All three MLAs had already informed the party leadership about their absence.
INDIA bloc with only 35 MLAs including that of RJD`s 25 and Congress six, needs the support of AIMIM`s six MLAs and also BSP`s lone MLA, if it has to sail through the rigours of the RS polls in the state. A Rajya Sabha candidate should get at least 41 first preference votes to win the election. RJD has fielded a prominent businessman, Amarendra Dhari Singh in the polls.
Meanwhile, sources claimed RJD chief Lalu Prasad has also talked to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi in connection with the Rajya Sabha election.
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The contest for five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar has taken a curious turn with six candidates (five from NDA) and one from RJD filing the nomination papers for the polls. Among the prominent contenders are Nitish Kumar and BJP president Nitin Nabin. Both leaders submitted their nomination papers on March 5 in the presence of union home minister Amit Shah.
Union minister of state Ram Nath Thakur, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief Upendra Kushwaha and state BJP general secretary Shivesh Kumar are also in the fray.
In the five seats going to fall vacant next month, RJD held two seats. After its poor performance in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections — where it secured only 25 seats — the party decided to contest just one seat. As a result, it dropped senior leader and former Union minister Prem Chand Gupta from the race.
