An interesting biennial election to six Rajya Sabha and eleven Bihar Legislative Council seats would be held in April next when many stalwarts retiring from their respective Houses would fight a close contest and the parties would try to hold their strengths.
Among those retiring include Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and former CM Rabri Devi from the Council and two Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Dharmendra Pradhan from the Rajya Sabha. Nitish, Modi and Rabri Devi are completing their six years term in the Council apart from Health Minister Mangal Pandey and seven others. Among the six MPs retiring also include Bihar JD(U) president Bashistha Narain Singh and rebel JD(U) leader Ali Anwar Ansari whose membership was terminated a few months before he completed his term.
A by-election is also likely to be held along with biennial polls for one Rajya Sabha seat which was held by former JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav who had turned rebel against his successor Nitish. JD(U) is certain to win this seat which still has four years term remaining.
But the ruling JD(U) would suffer in both the Rajya Sabha and Council election in the backdrop of its strength in the Assembly. While its four members are retiring from the Parliament five are retiring from the State legislature. With its 71 MLAs, the JD(U) can win only two seats in Rajya Sabha and three in the Council.
Similar is the situation for the ruling BJP which is going to lose strength both in Rajya Sabha and Council. The party could send only one to the Parliament against two retiring members and only two against four retiring MLCs.
The RJD would be a big gainer apart from Congress. No RJD member is retiring from Rajya Sabha but it could win two seats easily while it could transfer its surplus votes to Congress which too could open its account after a gap ofmany years.
In the Council too only one member is retiring but the party might win four seats on the basis of its Assembly strength and Congress could also win one seat. RJD has 79 and Congress 27 MLAs. However, the major challenge before Congress is to remain united.
Even though the leadership of these parties is silent there are a lot of speculations and murmuring in the political circles with many names making round. From the RJD side Rabri Devi is all set to leave Council and enter Rajya Sabha. For one more seat a number of top leaders are in the queue. State RJD chief Ram Chandra Purbe is eyeing a seat in the Council.
Nitish, Sushil Modi and Mangal Pandey in all set to retain their seats in the Council but speculations are rife that Union Minister of Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan, who originally belongs to Odisha, might not be fielded from Bihar.
It would also be interesting to see if BJP could change its policy of not giving third term to anyone in case of Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad who is going to complete his second term in Rajya Sabha.