Scrutiny Confirms Six Valid Candidates for Bihar Rajya Sabha Elections
In a significant political development, the nomination papers of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, and four other candidates have been officially validated during scrutiny on Friday. This sets the stage for the upcoming Rajya Sabha biennial elections, which are scheduled to take place on March 16.
Official Declaration and Candidate Details
An official from the state assembly confirmed to TOI, "Nomination papers of all six candidates were found valid during scrutiny." A total of six candidates submitted their nominations on Thursday, competing for five available Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded five candidates, while the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has put forward one.
NDA Candidates Include:
- Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
- BJP National President Nitin Nabin
- Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur of the JD(U), aiming for a hat-trick in the Upper House
- Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) President Upendra Kushwaha, seeking a second consecutive term
- BJP State General Secretary Shivesh Kumar, a former MLA making his Rajya Sabha debut
The sole opposition candidate is RJD's Amarendra Dhari Singh, a sitting Rajya Sabha member and businessman-turned-politician.
Election Timeline and Historical Context
The official further stated, "March 9 is the last date for the withdrawal of candidature. If any candidate does not withdraw his candidature, there would be voting on March 16, as a total of six candidates are in the fray for five seats in the Rajya Sabha from Bihar." This potential contest marks a departure from recent trends, where Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar have typically been uncontested due to political parties fielding candidates matching the number of vacancies.
Historically, every biennial election and byelection for the Rajya Sabha in Bihar over recent years has been decided unopposed. This pattern has been broken with the current scenario, where the number of candidates exceeds the available seats, ensuring a democratic contest unless withdrawals occur before the March 9 deadline.
