Bihar council polls: All eyes on 12 governor quota seats

PATNA: As the filing of nomination papers for nine seats of Bihar legislative council, to be elected by MLAs, ended on Thursday, the focus of the state’s ruling parties have now shifted towards the council’s other 12 vacant seats, which will be filled through nomination by the governor.
Leaders of ruling parties — JD(U) and BJP — eyeing to enter the upper house through the nomination process have begun lobbying with their senior leaders to get nominated.
Two of the 12 seats are vacant since May 2019 after Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Pashupati Kumar Paras resigned from the council days after their election as members of the Lok Sabha, while the rest 10 seats fell vacant on May 24 this year after the nominated members completed their six-year term.
Article 171(3)(e) of Constitution empowers the governor to nominate members against 12 seats in the 75-member state legislative council. The governor makes such a nomination on the recommendation of the state government.
Article 171(5) of Constitution requires that the persons to be appointed should have special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, arts, cooperative movement and social service.
Since LJP is an NDA ally with BJP and JD(U), it would also get a share in the 12 seats as per arrangements agreed between the top leaders of the three parties.
Sources said LJP president Chirag Paswan recently spoke to a senior BJP leader in Delhi and sought a “respectable share” for his party in the 12 council seats.
LJP’s Bihar unit president and Samastipur MP Prince Raj told TOI on Friday that talks were going on among NDA allies over the issue and “we expect a respectable share for the LJP”. Prince admitted that his cousin and LJP chief Chirag Paswan held talks with senior NDA leaders over the issue.
A senior BJP leader said JD(U) is likely to get six seats, BJP five and LJP one seat.
Another BJP leader said, LJP has made a claim on two seats and wants that five seats each are given to BJP and JD(U) as per the ratio of distribution of seats during the last Lok Sabha polls. But JD(U) leadership has not agreed to the formula. JD(U) being the big brother in Bihar, sources said, wants six seats for itself and the rest six for BJP and LJP.
“Talks are going on. Things will be cleared in the next few days. Once the seats are distributed, I will let you know,” Prince Raj told TOI.