By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Upendra Kushwaha and Manan Mishra have been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar, representing the NDA. Both candidates filed their nominations on August 21, with today, August 27, being the last day for the withdrawal of nominations. Since no other candidates stepped forward, certificates were issued to both Kushwaha and Mishra today.
The Rajya Sabha seats became vacant after RJD’s Misa Bharti was elected as an MP from Pataliputra, and BJP’s Vivek Thakur became an MP from Nawada. Consequently, the NDA gained both seats, resulting in the RJD losing one seat.
The nomination process for these Rajya Sabha seats closed on August 21, with Upendra Kushwaha and Manan Mishra submitting their papers on the final day. The Election Commission had set August 27 as the deadline for withdrawing nominations for Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Odisha, with the other states having their deadlines on August 26. Out of the 12 vacant Rajya Sabha seats across the country, two were from Bihar. The election, initially scheduled for September 3, was rendered unnecessary as both candidates were elected unopposed.
Currently, Bihar has 16 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, with the NDA holding 10 seats and the India Bloc holding six. Among the parties, the BJP has five seats, JDU four, RJD five, Congress one, and Rashtriya Lok Morcha one.
In the Bihar Assembly, the BJP has 78 MLAs, JDU 44, HAM three, and one independent MLA. The opposition includes 75 MLAs from RJD, 19 from Congress, and 15 from the Left, along with one AIMIM MLA and one independent MLA. Four assembly seats are currently vacant. The NDA enjoys the support of 126 MLAs, while the opposition has 109.
After receiving their certificates in the assembly, Upendra Kushwaha and Manan Mishra met with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Kushwaha also expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kushwaha will occupy Misa Bharti’s seat in the Rajya Sabha for four years, while Mishra will fill Vivek Thakur’s seat for two years.
