NDA leaders expressed confidence in winning all five Bihar Rajya Sabha seats, with the RJD countering that it has the numbers for one seat after gaining support from AIMIM and BSP, setting up a tight contest for the fifth seat.
NDA Confident of Victory
Janata Dal (United) National Working President Sanjay Kumar Jha on Monday exuded confidence that all NDA candidates from Bihar will secure victory in the Rajya Sabha elections. "NDA will win all five seats with a big margin. Four seats are confirmed. We will also win the fifth seat," he said.
Bihar minister Mangal Pandey also said the same while taking a jibe over reports of RJD moving their MLAs to a hotel to prevent any cross-voting. "Today, the voting process will be completed, and all NDA candidates will win. They (RJD) don't trust their own MLAs, that is why they are doing this," he said.
The Numbers Game
NDA has eyed all five seats to the Rajya Sabha but lacks a clear majority for its fifth candidate. NDA needs three MLAs to vote across party lines, whereas RJD needs the support of six MLAs to achieve the 41 mark.
RJD Asserts Strength
Meanwhile, RJD National Working President Tejashwi Yadav assured that his party has enough support to clinch a Rajya Sabha seat away from the NDA. "We are confident. Earlier, the strength of Mahagathbandhan was 35. To win, 41 is needed. BJP-NDA needed 3. But we accepted this challenge and chose to fight the BJP, not to cower before them. Colleagues from AIMIM and BSP have supported the RJD candidate. So, the strength now is 41," he said.
RJD leader Shakti Singh Yadav said, "We have 41 seats... Their numbers are falling by three. They want to win by misusing power and force... They forget that if Nitish Kumar had that much awareness, this election would not have happened."
Key Candidates in the Fray
NDA candidates include Bihar's longest-tenured Chief Minister Nitish Kumar; RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, BJP chief Nitin Nabin, Shivesh Ram and Ram Nath Thakur.
RJD has nominated AD Singh for the seat.
Voting Underway, Results Awaited
Bihar Minister Shravan Kumar said, "Enthusiasm is being seen for voting because for the first time since 2014, legislators have got the opportunity to vote... This enthusiasm shows that people are voting in favour of the NDA... Everything will become clear in just two hours."
The results will be out today. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)