Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) National President, Upendra Kushwaha, has been selected as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)-backed candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar. He is set to file his nomination on March 5, as confirmed in a press release by state spokesperson Nitin Bharti. Leaders from all NDA constituent parties are expected to support Kushwaha during the nomination process.
Kushwaha recently returned from New Delhi after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss strategies for the Rajya Sabha elections. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kushwaha contested from the Karakat parliamentary constituency but was defeated by Rajaram Singh Kushwaha of CPI(ML). Following this, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha under the BJP quota, with his current term ending in April this year.
The NDA currently holds 202 MLAs in the Bihar Assembly, with 41 votes needed to secure one Rajya Sabha seat. The fifth seat, however, presents a numerical and political challenge as it requires a total of 205 MLAs to secure all five seats. On the other hand, the Grand Alliance, with 35 MLAs, could potentially win a seat with the support of five AIMIM MLAs and one Bahujan Samaj Party MLA.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar as its candidates for the Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar. As nominations draw to a close, the political competition for the fifth seat is expected to escalate in the state.
