The NDA orchestrated a flawless 5-0 sweep in Bihar’s Rajya Sabha elections, turning a potential nail-biter into a rout thanks to four Mahagathbandhan MLAs skipping the vote. This unexpected absenteeism proved to be the game-changer, propelling the ruling alliance to total control of the upper house seats up for grabs.
Needing only three extra votes for the fifth seat, the NDA watched as the opposition’s calculations crumbled. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had lined up support from five AIMIM and one BSP MLA, but that gambit fell short when one RJD and three Congress lawmakers vanished from the assembly. The no-shows—Congress’s Surendra Kushwaha (Valmikinagar), Manoj Vishwas (Forbesganj), Manohar Singh (Manihari), and RJD’s Faisal Rahman (Dhaka)—delivered the knockout blow.
Vote tallies revealed NDA heavyweights shining bright: Nitish Kumar and Nitin Nabin topped with 44 votes apiece, followed by Upendra Kushwaha and Ramnath Thakur at 42 each. Mahagathbandhan’s AD Singh managed just 37, underscoring the alliance’s disunity.
JDU minister Shrawan Kumar celebrated the outcome, emphasizing perfect attendance from the NDA’s 202 MLAs. ‘Our unity and strategy prevailed,’ he declared, dismissing opposition claims of horse-trading and kidnappings as desperate excuses.
The elections unfolded against a backdrop of simmering tensions. RJD accused the NDA of poaching their flock, but cold, hard numbers painted a picture of self-inflicted wounds within the grand alliance.
In a parallel development, strongman MLA Anant Singh seized the moment to pledge his political future to Nitish Kumar’s leadership. Jailed last year over the Dular Chand Yadav murder case, Singh—voting on parole—vowed not to contest again sans the CM. ‘My kids will carry the torch,’ he said, injecting personal drama into the electoral saga.
As Bihar gears up for future battles, this Rajya Sabha domination cements the NDA’s supremacy, leaving the opposition to regroup from a bruising defeat.