The Election Commission of India has declared elections for 10 vacant seats in the Bihar Legislative Council, with voting scheduled for June 18. A by-election will be held for the seat vacated by former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after his Rajya Sabha election, while biennial elections will take place for nine seats whose members’ terms end on June 28. The outgoing members include Dr. Kumud Verma, Professor Ghulam Ghaus, Mohammad Farooq, Bhishma Sahani, Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha, Sanjay Prakash, Sameer Kumar Singh, Samrat Choudhary, and Sunil Kumar Singh.
Separate notifications have been issued by the Election Commission for Nitish Kumar’s by-election seat and the nine regular vacancies. Additionally, elections for certain Legislative Council seats in Karnataka are also scheduled. The official notification will be released on June 1, with the deadline for nominations set for June 8. Nomination papers will be scrutinized on June 9, and candidates can withdraw nominations until June 11.
Polling is slated for June 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with results expected to be announced the same day at 5 p.m. The ruling National Democratic Alliance holds a significant numerical advantage in the Bihar Assembly with 201 legislators. Observers anticipate the NDA securing nine of the ten seats, while the opposition may clinch one. Speculation has arisen regarding potential political strategies if the NDA contests all ten seats, reminiscent of recent Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar.
