Patna: Tensions are simmering within Bihar’s opposition ranks as negotiations intensify ahead of this month’s Rajya Sabha elections, with Asaduddin Owaisi reportedly setting conditions for backing the Grand Alliance candidate and complicating the calculations of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
The RJD, led by Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav, has announced that it will contest one of the five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar but remains short of the numbers required to secure victory. Based on the current composition of the state assembly, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to win four seats. The fifth seat, however, hinges on cross-party support.
According to party sources, the RJD requires the backing of six additional MLAs to push its candidate over the line. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), which holds five seats in the Bihar assembly, has emerged as a crucial player in this arithmetic.
Senior leaders in AIMIM, headed by Owaisi, are said to have conveyed to the RJD that support would not come unconditionally. The party has reportedly demanded formal inclusion in the Grand Alliance and a defined share in future seat-sharing arrangements. Without such assurances, AIMIM has warned it could boycott the vote altogether — a move that would significantly dent the opposition’s prospects.
The development underlines the fragile cohesion within the opposition bloc. During the last Bihar assembly elections, AIMIM had sought entry into the Grand Alliance, a request that was rejected at the time. The renewed demand signals a strategic attempt by Owaisi’s party to convert its legislative strength into bargaining power.
Earlier this week, a meeting of the RJD’s parliamentary board in Patna authorised Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav to finalise the party’s nominee. The candidate is expected to file nomination papers by March 5, the deadline for submissions. Voting is scheduled for March 16.
Last month, after the Rajya Sabha election schedule was announced, AIMIM declared its intention to field its own candidate from Bihar. Its state president, Akhtarul Iman, had sought the support of the RJD and other Grand Alliance partners. However, the party has yet to publicly name a nominee, fuelling speculation that it may ultimately support the RJD candidate — provided its conditions are met.
The RJD is also believed to be reaching out to the Bahujan Samaj Party’s lone MLA in the state as it scrambles to close the numbers gap. With the nomination deadline imminent, negotiations are likely to intensify, testing both the strategic flexibility of Tejashwi Yadav and the cohesion of Bihar’s opposition front.
