2 months ago
1
All 4 MLAs of the Opposition Mahagathbandhan confederation successful Bihar who were absent during voting for the Rajya Sabha election cited antithetic reasons connected Tuesday (March 17, 2026) for skipping the poll. The NDA won each 5 seats that went to the polls connected Monday (March 16, 2026).
While Congress MLAs Manohar Prasad Singh (Manihari), Surendra Prasad (Valimikinagar), and Manoj Bishwas (Forbesganj) claimed they were not blessed with the associated candidate, Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Dhaka MLA Faisal Rahman cited his parent being unwell arsenic the crushed for not turning up. The alliance’s candidate, Amarendra Dhari Singh of the RJD, mislaid the election.
Mr. Bishwas alleged that State Congress main Rajesh Ram had fixed them directions to skip voting arsenic helium was unhappy with not being progressive successful the enactment of the associated candidate.
“On March 12, the 3 of america held a gathering with Rajeshji and helium told america we are escaped to marque our ain decision. If our person volition not get owed respect, past it is not bully to formed votes successful the favour of the RJD candidate. Just due to the fact that our person is simply a Dalit, helium did not get owed respect and was not progressive successful the full process of the Rajya Sabha election,” Mr. Bishwas told mediapersons successful Patna.
He besides denied immoderate unit from the NDA campy to abstain from voting, asserting that helium “just followed the party’s ideology”.
However, the State Congress president termed the allegation “baseless”. “Why did they power disconnected their mobile phones? The allegations by the MLAs are baseless. Being a nationalist party, we are awaiting instructions from the cardinal enactment to instrumentality disciplinary enactment against them Wait for the close time,” Mr. Ram told reporters.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Surendra Prasad said, “Given that the Grand Alliance had the accidental to contention conscionable 1 seat, we could person selected a amended candidate, Deepak Yadav oregon Mukesh Sahani. Instead of giving them the opportunity, the candidature was fixed to an idiosyncratic belonging to a societal radical whose enactment basal really stands opposed to the Grand Alliance.”
Mr. Singh comes from the precocious caste Bhumihar community, which is considered the halfway elector basal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Since I could not enactment the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and the RJD selected the incorrect candidate, I simply decided to refrain from voting,” helium said.
Mr. Surendra Prasad denied the allegation of getting engaged successful horse-trading. “During the gathering with (RJD leader) Tejashwi Yadavji on March 5, his sanction and Hena Sahab (wife of precocious don-turned-politician Mohammad Shahabuddin) were being discussed and we had nary occupation with these names. After immoderate time, the 3 of america heard the sanction of Amarendra Dhari Singh. I heard his sanction for the archetypal clip and did not adjacent recognise him. Then itself I had decided not to ballot for him,” helium said.
Mr. Manohar Prasad said Mr. Singh was not the Congress campaigner truthful helium skipped voting. “The Mahagathbandhan campaigner was not declared; helium was the RJD candidate. Nobody told america that helium was the Mahagathbandhan candidate. The campaigner was not successful tune with our ideology,” helium said.
Of the 5 NDA candidates who secured victory, 2 each were from the Bharatiya Janata Party – enactment nationalist president Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar – and the Janata Dal (United) – Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Ramnath Thakur. Rashtriya Lok Morcha president and erstwhile Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, who is portion of the ruling alliance, besides secured victory.
There was a contention for the 5th spot betwixt Mr. Shivesh Kumar and Mr. Singh. While Mr. Shivesh Kumar secured 38 votes, Mr. Singh got 37 votes.
