BJP Working president Nitin Nabin for Rajya Sabha
Battle for 5 seats begins in Bihar
Harish Gupta
Nitin Nabin, BJP's newly appointed Working president, is likely to be brought to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar when the state goes for biennial polls in March-April this year. There are reports that the BJP may bring a new face in Rajya Sabha for the second seat as well. It will be a big gain for the BJP as none of the five retiring Rajya Sabha Mps belong to it.
The BJP is unlikely to give Rajya Sabha seat to Upendra Kushwaha (RLM) this time. He had been brought to the Rajya Sabha two years ago by the BJP. Now that Kushwaha insisted on appointing his son as a minister in Bihar without being an MLA, it has cast a shadow over his Rajya Sabha prospects. The son may be made an MLC from the seat vacated by BJP's Mangal Pandey.
Of the five seats falling vacant in Bihar, the Janata Dal (U) will win two seats and a bitter battle may be witnessed for the 5th seat given the composition of the state Assembly. The Janata Dal (U) is likely to retain its two Mps -Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh and Union Minister of State Ram Nath Thakur barring unforeseen reasons.
Two MPs of the RJD, Prem Chand Gupta and A.D. Singh are retiring. It is yet to be seen if the Opposition fields a joint candidate for the 5th seat. But it sounds difficult given the current political scenario. The Mahagathbandhan has 35 MLAs (RJD-25, INC -6, CPI(ML)L-2, CPI(M)-1 & IIP-1. The MGB needs the support of AIMIM (5) and BSP (1) to win the seat. In a House of 243, the NDA has 202 MLAs (BJP-89, JDU-85 LJP-19, HAM -5 and RLM-4.
