In a decisive Rajya Sabha battle in Bihar, the NDA appears set to claim all five seats following yesterday’s voting. Reports indicate full participation from NDA MLAs, while four from the Mahagathbandhan stayed away—one from RJD and three from Congress—tilting the scales firmly.
The fallout has sparked a barrage of statements. Jitan Ram Manjhi, the fiery Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha leader, took to social media platform X to lambast RJD and Congress. ‘If you peddle tickets for cash, expect MLAs to ghost you—phones off, no show,’ he posted, capturing the opposition’s predicament in a single, stinging line.
Echoing this, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha decried RJD’s tactics of confining MLAs in hotels like ‘bonded laborers.’ He described it as a relic of their fear-mongering politics, where leaders bully their own to maintain control. ‘Intimidation is the Mahagathbandhan’s playbook,’ Sinha asserted.
JD(U)’s Ashok Chaudhary pointed to leadership failures: ‘Their bosses lack the grip to hold MLAs. Hotels couldn’t stop the escape.’ He contrasted this with NDA’s disciplined ranks, where legislators roamed without issue. No defections there.
As results solidify NDA’s victory, this absenteeism highlights opposition vulnerabilities. Bihar’s political landscape, already tense, now brims with accusations of bought loyalties and broken chains. Manjhi’s barb signals escalating pre-election hostilities.