An election for two Rajya Sabha seats in the state will take place today amidst once bitter rivals Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar supporting each other. Lalu’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) will support two candidates of Nitish’s Janata Dal United (JDU).
According to reports Nitish on Saturday had called Lalu asking him to support his MLAs in the bypolls. Pawan Sharma and Gulam Rasool Balyavi are the two JD(U) candidates challenging independent candidate, businessman Anil Sharma and former Rajya Sabha MP Sabir Ali. These candidates are being backed by the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP).
"We have decided to vote in favour of the Anil Sharma and Sabir Ali in the by-poll," said former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to PTI. He also added that the decision to vote for the independent candidates was taken at the BJP legislature party meeting on Wednesday.
The total strength of the House is 232, having 11 vacancies making it to a total of 243. The JD(U) has 117 MLAs, including the Speaker in the Bihar Assembly. The BJP has 84, RJD 21 and Congress four. The CPI has one member and the strength of the Independents is five. JD(U) in order to win needs the support of 21 RJD MLAs.
RJD had earlier extended its support to JD(U) during a vote of confidence motion in lieu to back Jitan Manjhi government and yet another support to JD(U) is thought to be signs of possible coalition in the history of Bihar politics.
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