Patna: The Election Commission has announced elections for 10 seats in the Bihar Legislative Council, including nine regular vacancies and one by-election for the seat vacated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Voting will take place on June 18, with counting and declaration of results scheduled for the same day.
The notification for the elections will be issued on June 1. Candidates can file nominations until June 8, while scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on June 9. The final date for withdrawal of nominations has been fixed for June 11.
The announcement has intensified political activity within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), with constituent parties pressing for representation in the Upper House.
Manjhi Demands Representation for HAM
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi met Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Tuesday and demanded one Legislative Council seat for the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM).
Speaking after the meeting, Manjhi said his party had consistently sought representation in the Council and argued that allotting one seat to HAM would strengthen the NDA alliance.
“We are not a weak constituent of any party. We should be allotted at least one MLC seat,” Manjhi said.
He added that such a decision would encourage party workers and expand the NDA’s support base ahead of the Assembly elections.
NDA Seat-Sharing Formula Takes Shape
Out of the 10 seats going to polls, four are currently held by the Janata Dal (United), and these are expected to remain with the party under the NDA’s seat-sharing arrangement.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which currently holds two seats, is likely to contest three this time. One seat each is expected to go to Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM).
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is also expected to secure one seat.
Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi said the NDA would soon announce candidates jointly and maintained that the alliance remained united.
Bypoll for Nitish Kumar’s Vacated Seat
A by-election will also be held for the Legislative Council seat vacated by Nitish Kumar after his resignation from the Upper House earlier this year.
According to the Election Commission, the seat has remained vacant since March 30, 2026. The tenure of the seat extends until May 6, 2030.
The terms of the nine outgoing MLCs are scheduled to end on June 28.
BJP and JD(U) Prepare New Faces
Within the BJP, all three seats are expected to feature new candidates. Samrat Choudhary is now a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, while the party is also considering a future Assembly role for Sanjay Mayukh.
Party sources indicated that caste equations would influence candidate selection. BJP leaders are reportedly considering one Brahmin face under the upper-caste category, along with representation from the Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) and non-backward communities.
The JD(U) is also expected to field several new faces. According to party sources, the name of Nitish Kumar’s son, Nishant Kumar, has been finalised for one of the six-year term seats rather than the by-election seat.
Incumbent MLCs Ghulam Ghaus and Bhisham Sahni are unlikely to be renominated. The party is expected to prioritise representation from EBC, Muslim and Dalit communities as part of its social balance strategy.
Chirag Paswan’s Nephew Among Likely Candidates
Discussions are also underway within LJP(R) over its nominee for the Legislative Council.
The frontrunner is reportedly Simant Mrinal, nephew of Chirag Paswan and head of the party’s youth wing. He had earlier contested the Assembly election from Garkha but was defeated.
Other names under consideration include Ved Prakash Pandey, considered close to Chirag Paswan, and senior party leader Hulas Pandey.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha is expected to secure a Council seat for his son Deepak Prakash, who currently serves as Panchayati Raj Minister in Bihar.
The upcoming elections are being closely watched as a precursor to wider political realignments ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
