Claims over Bihar Rajya Sabha seat become thorny deal for NDA

After having broken ties with the Lok Janshakthi Party (LJP), the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar is staring at a rather awkward situation with bypolls to the Rajya Sabha seat, vacated after the demise of LJP supremo Ramvilas Paswan, around the corner. While the seat was offered to Paswan senior as the part of a deal post general elections 2019, Chirag Paswan is eyeing to send Reena Paswan, his mother, fill the post.

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha seat which was vacated following the death of veteran LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan has become a headache for National Democratic Alliance (NDA), as both JD(U) and LJP candidates are clamouring for the seat.

Bypoll to the Rajya Sabha seat will be held on December 14.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, LJP had contested in seven seats with NDA. Similarly, in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, LJP contested in six seats with NDA.

As LJP was offered one seat less than in 2014, BJP had promised to give one seat of its quota to the LJP in return. Following this, Paswan was elected for Rajya Sabha from Bihar in 2019.

The seat was offered to him by NDA. The seat was vacated after Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad won in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and moved to Lok Sabha.

While Paswan's term as the member of the Rajya Sabha was to end only in April 2024, he passed away on October 8, earlier this year.

Meanwhile, LJP leader Chirag Paswan hopes to send his mother Reena Paswan to Rajya Sabha to retake the vacated but BJP offered this seat to LJP from its quota and at present, LJP is not even a part of Bihar NDA. However, it continues to be part of NDA at the national level.

Chirag Paswan-led party had gone guns blazing against the JDU supremo Nitish Kumar during the prepoll phase in Bihar recently, a move which did not go down well with the BJP.

At the moment, the vacant Rajya Sabha seat in Bihar has become a headache for BJP as the alliance between JD(U) and LJP was broken before the Bihar Assembly election.

Candidates are in focus

Sushil Modi - Sushil Modi, one of the strongest leaders of Bihar, was not reinstated to his office previous office of Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar when the NDA formed again in Bihar earlier this month.

According to sources, the BJP is looking forward to send Sushil Modi to Rajya Sabha.

Shahnawaz Hussain - BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain could also be deemed eligible for this seat. He had lost Lok Sabha elections from Bhagalpur in 2019.

Reena Paswan - Chirag Paswan, LJP national president and MP is also claiming the Rajya Sabha seat. He hopes to send his mother Reena Paswan to Rajya Sabha.

Meanwhile, the notification for the by-poll will be issued on November 26 and the polling will be held on December 14. Counting of votes will take place on the evening of December 14.