JD(U), NDA win 2 seats each in Bihar Council

The ruling JD(U) won the two seats it had contested, while the BJP and its ally RLSP won one each in the polls to the four seats of the Bihar Legislative Council. The RJD and the Congress, which had contested against each other, as also the NDA candidates from the two seats of Gaya graduate and Gaya teachers, drew a blank.

The winners, including current Chairperson of Legislative Council Awdesh Narayan Singh of the BJP, met Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today at his 1, Anne Marg residence here. Singh retained his Gaya graduate seat defeating RJD's Puneet Singh and Congress' Ajay Singh. Sanjeev Shyam Singh of the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), an ally of the BJP in the NDA, won the Gaya teachers seat defeating RJD and Congress candidates.

The JD(U), which had contested two seats and fielded Virendra Narayan Yadav from Saran graduate and Sanjeev Kumar Singh from Kosi teachers, emerged victorious at both places.

According to media reports, the victory of BJP's Singh has triggered a fresh round of sparring between Grand Alliance partners JD(U) and RJD as the former favoured Singh's continuance as the chairperson of the Upper House, but Lalu Prasad's RJD was pushing for a party nominee for the post.

Singh's current term as the Chairperson of the Legislative Council ends on May 7. Singh who visited the council today thanked Nitish Kumar particularly for his victory. Media reports suggest that the chief minister is in favour of Singh continuing as the chairperson of the council, but the RJD wants one of its candidates for the post.

Rabri Devi, the former chief minister and wife of Lalu Prasad, told reporters that somebody from the RJD should be chosen the chairperson. She, however, did not mention any name.

In reply to a question that the RJD was seeking the post of chairperson for Rabri Devi, he said there has been a healthy tradition of electing the chairperson on the basis of a consensus.