Sushil Kumar Modi

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 28

NDA’s ally JD(U), mainly Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is believed to have played a major role in the Rajya Sabha seat being wrested from the LJP, sources are indicating.

The BJP on Friday nominated former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha bypoll after Nitish Kumar reportedly refused to support a candidate from the LJP, whose chief Chirag Paswan led an acrimonious campaign against him in the recent Assembly elections in which JD(U) suffered major losses.

The former Bihar Deputy CM, who shares a good rapport with Nitish Kumar, is believed to be among top runners for several vacancies in the Narendra Modi Cabinet for which names of several leaders, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, are doing the rounds.

Apparently, the LJP wanted the seat for Reena Paswan, wife of Ram Vilas Paswan. It now remains to be seen if the LJP, which continues to be a part of the NDA at the Centre, is given any assignment in the Narendra Modi Cabinet. After the exit of the Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal, Ramdas Athawale of the Republican Party of India (Athawale) is the only NDA ally in the Central council of ministers.

The seat had fallen vacant following the death of LJP patriarch Ram Vilas Paswan, who was a Cabinet minister in the Modi government. With the LJP out of Bihar NDA after its decision to contest separately, the BJP’s decision to reclaim the seat has put a question mark on the future of Chirag Paswan.

Ram Vilas Paswan was elected to the Upper House by the NDA under the ‘seat-sharing formula’ finalised during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls by three parties.

LJP wanted it for Paswan’s widow

The BJP on Friday nominated former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha bypoll after Nitish Kumar reportedly refused to support a candidate from the LJP
Sources say the LJP wanted the seat for Reena Paswan, widow of Ram Vilas Paswan