Senior NDA leaders on Saturday held a meeting with MLAs ahead of Rajya Sabha elections even as Bihar police`s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has been placed on high alert to monitor and prevent potential “horse-trading” ahead of the RS polls scheduled for March 16, 2026. | File Pic
Patna: Senior NDA leaders on Saturday held a meeting with MLAs ahead of Rajya Sabha elections even as Bihar police`s Economic Offences Unit (EOU) has been placed on high alert to monitor and prevent potential “horse-trading” ahead of the RS polls scheduled for March 16, 2026. RLM Leader Upendra Kushwaha Hosts Meet to Train New MLAs on Voting ProcessThe meeting was held at the residence of Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) leader, Upendra Kushwha, who is also vying for a seat in the upper house.Sources claimed that the meeting was called to train newly elected MLAs how to cast votes in the RS polls.
Earlier too, a meeting of NDA MLAs was held at the residence of deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary. NDA will hold one more meeting at the residence of JD (U) leader and minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Sunday, a day before the polls.
NDA Confident on Four SeatsAlthough NDA`s four candidates are set to become members of the upper house, there will be a keen contest between NDA and Mahagathbandhan candidates for the fifth seat. RJD has fielded prominent industrialist Amarendra Dhari Singh, who will contest the polls as the fifth candidate in the election. Each candidate needs votes of 41 MLAs to win an upper house berth in the elections. NDA with 202 MLAs will comfortably win four seats, even as its fifth candidate would require votes of just three more MLAs to win the seat.
Mahagathbandhan Short by Six VoteThe RJD-led Mahagathbandhan has 35 MLAs and it will need the support of six more MLAs to be in a position to send one representative to the upper house. In this context, the votes of five AIMIM MLAs and one BSP legislator are also considered significant as these six votes are being viewed as the key to victory. AIMIM’s stand on its support remains unclear, keeping the Mahagathbandhan on tenterhooks.Prominent candidates include chief minister Nitish Kumar, BJP national president Nitin Nabin. BJP has also fielded Dalit leader and former party MLA Shivesh Ram as its fifth candidate. Union minister and JD(U) leader Ram Nath Thakur is also in the fray. It will be the first time after 12 years when the elections are going to be held in the state.