Bihar: Hectic lobbying for RS polls begins

PATNA: The biennial election to five Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, to be held June 10, has triggered hectic lobbying in the political circles. The term of Rajya Sabha members Gopal Narayan Singh and Satish Chandra Dubey (BJP), Misa Bharti (RJD) and Ramchandra Prasad Singh (JDU) from Bihar will end on July 7. Sharad Yadav’s seat is vacant since December 04, 2017 following his disqualification. Yadav was elected to the Rajya Sabha from JD(U) in 2016, but he recently joined Lalu Prasad-led RJD.
The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday announced the schedule for the biennial election to the five seats from Bihar. Notification will be issued on May 24 and May 31 will be the last date to file nomination papers. June 3 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature. MLAs vote to elect Rajya Sabha members. In Bihar, the first preferential vote of at least 41 MLAs would be required for a candidate to become Rajya Sabha member.
As per the existing strength of different parties in the 243-member assembly, RJD with 76 MLAs and support of 16 Left parties MLAs would be able to get its two nominees elected. Thus, RJD would gain one seat. Similarly, BJP and JD(U) with combined strength of 122 MLAs and support of four HAM(S) MLAs, would be able to get their three nominees elected to the Upper House. Since BJP has 77 MLAs and JD(U) 45, the former would naturally field two nominees and CM Nitish Kumar’s party one.
From RJD, Misa, the elder daughter of party chief Lalu, is all set to be renominated as the party candidate. “There is no dispute over Misa’s second term in the Rajya Sabha,” a senior RJD leader told TOI on Friday.
Among the RJD aspirants for the second seat, the names of Baba Ziauddin Siddique, a former MLA of Maharashtra and known for hosting iftar parties for Bollywood actors, and noted Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibbal, are also doing the rounds. Sibbal was a Rajya Sabha member from Bihar from 1998 to 2004.
“RJD has many senior leaders who really deserve to be Rajya Sabha members. RJD has authorized its national president to take such decisions,” RJD’s spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan told TOI.
“Of the two retiring BJP members, Gopal (79) may not be repeated because of the age factor. The party may consider any senior leader either from his caste (Rajpur) or Bhumihar. Satish had been elected to the Rajya Sabha in a byelection for nearly two and a half years. His name may be considered for a second term,” a BJP leader said. “In BJP, the candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls will be decided by the central parliamentary board,” BJP’s media in-charge and state vice-president Rajib Ranjan told TOI.
JD(U) most probably would retain RCP, who is also the cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi government. But in the backdrop of the growing factionalism among the supporters of RCP and JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh, some party leaders expressed doubt over renomination of the former bureaucrat to the Upper House. The name of another bureaucrat, who is considered close to Nitish, is also doing the rounds in the JD(U) circle.