All eyes on JD(U) face for new Council chairman as countdown begins

Speculations rise that JD(U) may regain the Bihar Legislative Council chairman post as it selects candidates amidst BJP's current leadership.

in keeping with the old practice, speculations are rife that the post of the chairman of Bihar Legislative Council will once again switch over to the JD(U) in the NDA government in the coming days.

All eyes on JD(U) face for new Council chairman as countdown begins

It has been an old and established practice that in the NDA, the two main alliance partners - the BJP and the JD(U) - hold the position of head of one House each.

With senior BJP leader Prem Kumar holding the Speaker’s chair, JD(U) is brainstorming in the selection of its candidate for the position of chairman of the Legislative Council.

At present, Awadhesh Narain Singh is chairman of the Legislative Council, holding the position since June 16, 2012, barring two occasions in 2017 and 2022 when JD(U) joined hands with the RJD.

Narendra Narayan Yadav of the JD(U) is deputy Speaker in the Vidhan Sabha and Ramavchan Rai is deputy chairman in the Vidhan Parishad. When a JD(U) leader is Council chairman, BJP will have its own deputy chairman.

Speculations are rife in the JD(U) on a few names for the chairman’s post. Senior JD(U) leader and present deputy chairman Ramavchan Rai is said to be front runner, though his Council tenure is only till March 2027.

Rai was elected unopposed to the position of deputy chairperson of the Legislative Council on July 24, 2024 and he remains on the post till date.

Rai retired from the post of head of the Hindi department of Patna University. He has also been a littérateur and was involved in the JP movement. He first became MLC from RJD in 2004, bit in 2011 he switched over to JD(U).

Other names are also floating from the JD(U) for the post. Lalan Sarraf is being discussed as a potential choice. He has been holding the responsibility of treasurer in the JD(U) for long and is concerned close to Nitish Kumar.

Another name is that of Sanjay Gandhi, in charge of the party for a long time and MLC since 2012. He is also considered close to Nitish. These three are considered to be in the Nitish’s scheme of things.

However, nobody is ready to speak who will be the final choice. “It is up to Nitish Kumar. JD(U) has been demanding that the council chairman should be from the party when the Speaker is from the BJP. It has been old practice, irrespective who JD(U) has aligned with,” said a senior leader of the party.

In the 75-member Bihar Vidhan Parishad, JD(U) is the second largest party with 20 seats behind BJP with 25 seats. In the Vidhan Sabha also, BJP is the largest party with 88 seats, followed closely by the JD(U) with 85 seats.

The JD(U) has called a big meeting in Patna on September 18. All MPs, MLAs and members of the Legislative Council have been called to Patna.

Though being projected as an orientation programme, senior party leaders said it could also throw light on the organisational strategy needed to resurrect the party with an eye on handing over the party baton to Nishant Kumar.

“Be it the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Farakka agreement, Council chairman, change in party’s name after Nitish Kumar and coronation of Nishant Kumar … there are a lot of issues, besides party’s stand on political developments. The impact will gradually be visible after the meeting,” he added.