RS bypoll on May 30, JD(U) may pick Tyagi
EC ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT BIENNIAL POLLS FOR 5 MORE RS SEATS IN BIHAR WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 10
PATNA: The bypoll for the Rajya Sabha seat in Bihar, which had fallen vacant following the death of Janata Dal (United) leader Mahendra Prasad in December last year, will be held on May 30, according to a notification issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday.
JD(U) sources said senior party leader and former Rajya Sabha member K C Tyagi and chairman of Bihar State Board of Religious Trusts, Kishore Kunal, are among the probable party contenders for the seat.
Prasad, popularly known as “King Mahendra”, was founder of a leading pharmaceutical company of the country. He died on December 27, 2021. His Rajya Sabha term was to end on April 2, 2024. When contacted, Kunal, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, said, “Nobody has contacted me or given me any indication that I am being sent to Rajya Sabha.” Tyagi just said such decisions are taken by the party’s top leadership.
Meanwhile, the EC on Thursday announced that biennial elections for five more Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar will be held on June 10. The seats are currently held by Gopal Narayan Singh (BJP), Satish Chandra
Dubey( BJP), Ramchandra Prasad Singh (JD-U), Sharad Yadav (JD-U) and Misa Bharti (RJD). Their term ends on July 7, 2022.
Seven seats in the Legislative Council are also falling vacant on July 21, 2022. These are currently held by Qamar Alam (JD-U), Arjun Sahani (BJP), Gulam Rasool (JD-U), Ranmvijay Singh (JD-U), Rojina Nazish (JD-U), Mukesh Sahani (Vikassheel Insaan Party) and Chandeshwar Prasad Sinha (JD-U).
Dates for election for these seats, in which electors are MLAs, are yet to be declared.
Sources said that given the numerical strength of parties in the assembly, JD(U)-BJP combine could win at least three seats comfortably while RJD and Left parties can expect to win at least two seats and clinch a third if supported by the Congress.
There could be a contest for the seventh seat given the requirement of at least 35 MLAs clinch one seat, they said.