Patna: Political activity has intensified in Bihar ahead of elections to five Rajya Sabha seats, with both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Grand Alliance stepping up efforts to secure crucial votes.
Akhtarul Iman, the Bihar state president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), is scheduled to meet opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting will take place at Yadav’s residence and is being viewed as significant in the context of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
The NDA has claimed it will win all five seats, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has fielded a candidate and is working to consolidate support among members of the Grand Alliance.
On Tuesday, Yadav held a meeting with alliance partners at his residence to discuss election strategy. The gathering also included a dinner, though legislators from AIMIM and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) did not attend despite being invited.
Sources said Yadav has instructed all allied legislators to ensure they are present and vote on time on the day of polling, stressing that every vote will be critical in determining the outcome.
RJD legislator Bhai Virendra said discussions at the meeting focused on the Rajya Sabha election strategy and expressed confidence in the party’s candidate.
“We have 41 MLAs and the numbers are in our favour,” he said, adding that support from other parties could further strengthen the RJD’s position.
The role of AIMIM and BSP legislators is expected to be crucial. AIMIM has five MLAs in the Bihar assembly, while BSP has one. Their support could influence the outcome of the closely watched fifth seat.
At the same time, concerns about possible cross-voting have grown within the opposition alliance. The NDA is believed to have devised a strategy to secure the fifth seat, while leaders in the Grand Alliance are attempting to ensure unity among their legislators. Discussions about potential cross-voting have particularly centred on members of the Indian National Congress, prompting the party to step up efforts to keep its MLAs together.
Of the five seats falling vacant, three were previously held by the NDA and two by the Grand Alliance. However, based on the current strength in the Bihar assembly, the NDA is claiming it has the numbers to win four seats, making the contest for the fifth seat the most closely watched battle in the election.
