Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is expected to see a significant reduction in its share of leadership roles within Bihar Assembly committees, with the Congress likely to gain one of the key positions as the balance of power shifts following the recently concluded elections.
The change stems from the RJD’s diminished numbers in the House. With only 25 MLAs this time, the party is likely to secure chairmanship of just two committees—one of which is expected to be the Public Accounts Committee, traditionally chaired by the opposition. If the government extends support, the Congress could assume leadership of one additional committee, leaving the Grand Alliance with control of three committees in total.
This marks a sharp decline from the previous Assembly session, when Grand Alliance members chaired 10 committees, six of them led by the RJD. Party leaders acknowledge that with their current strength, surpassing two chair positions is unlikely, though a third could be secured through alliance backing from the Congress (six MLAs), the Left (three), and the Indian Inclusive Party (one).
The RJD narrowly avoided losing further ground: three seats—Dhaka, Jehanabad and Bodhgaya—were won by margins under 1,000 votes. A slight shift could have recreated the situation of 2010, when the party held only 22 seats and lacked the strength to claim the post of Leader of the Opposition. A loss of even one more MLA this year would have made the position dependent on government discretion.
Some within the party argue the shift may not materially affect their influence, pointing to what they describe as minimal activity within committees in the previous Assembly term. The RJD is also said to be willing to cede space to the Congress in the interest of maintaining unity within the Grand Alliance.
Last term, RJD MLAs chaired several committees including Library, Bihar Heritage Development, Internal Resources and Central Assistance, Zero Hour and Non-Official Resolution. The latter was led by Tej Pratap Yadav, who later quit the party and lost the election contesting under the Janshakti Janata Dal banner. Bhai Virendra, who chaired the Public Accounts Committee previously, retained his seat from Maner.
Twenty to twenty-five committees are typically formed in the Assembly, and opposition leadership of the Public Accounts Committee remains a long-standing legislative norm.
