Setback for NDA as RJD wrests seat from JD(U) in MLC bypoll

The result is politically significant, as it was the first election since the formation of the new government and stepping down of JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar as the CM

In a setback for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), especially the JD(U), the Opposition RJD won the by-election to the Bhojpur-cum-Buxar local authority constituency seat of the Bihar Legislative Council on Thursday.

RJD candidate Sonu Rai (garlanded) has registered his maiden victory. (HT Photo)

One third of the members of the Legislative Council are elected by representatives of the Local Authorities (like Municipalities, Zilla Parishads, Block Parishads etc).

The seat had recorded an unprecedented 97.96% voter turnout on Tuesday and after counting on Thursday, the RJD candidate Sonu Rai defeated the JD(U) candidate Kanhaiya Prasad by over 300 votes.

Prasad is the son of Sandesh MLA Radha Charan Sah alias Seth, who held the seat earlier. In 2022, Sah had won the seat by nearly 1,000 votes. However, after Shah’s election to the Assembly, the seat fell vacant and JD(U) had fielded his son.

However, the RJD snatched the seat from the JD(U), defeating Shah’s son, barely six months after being routed in the Assembly election and Rajya Sabha elections.

The RJD candidate defeated the JD(U) candidate in the first-preference votes alone. Of the 5,956 votes cast, 621 were rejected and 5,335 were declared valid. Of these, RJD candidate got 2,486 votes, while JD(U) candidate got 2,146.

The result is politically significant, as it was the first election since the formation of the new government and stepping down of JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar as the CM.

Kanhaiya and his father Seth were arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in September 2023 in a case of illegal sand mining and money-laundering.

Sonu Rai’s father Laldas Rai was also an MLC from this seat in the past. He had won in 2003. The discontent of NDA workers in this election is also seen as a reason behind party’s debacle , as JD(U) rebel Manoj Upadhyay, who is locally popular, made it a triangular contest to make it easy for the RJD. There were six candidates in the fray for the seat. Sonu Rai will go to the Legislative Council for the first time.

The victory is being seen as a ‘lifeline’ for Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav after recent reverses, more so because it has come in the politically sensitive Bhojpur and Buxar region and it is the fist election since Samrat Choudhary became Bihar CM.

In the election, Tejashwi tested his A-Z politics by fielding Rai and reaching out to all communities, instead of banking on the tested M-Y equation only, to cash in on the fissures in the JD(U) ranks.

Congratulating the RJD candidate, Tejashwi, in a post on X that, thanked all workers, voters, and leaders on the victory and advocated election through ballot papers for upholding transparency and public trust in the democratic process.

“We have been saying from the very beginning that if elections were held today in the country and state using ballot papers instead of machines, the BJP-NDA wouldn’t stand a chance anywhere. In the Bihar elections, we won more than 150 seats through postal ballot papers, but we were defeated through the machinations of the system, conspiracies, and deceit,” he added.

Now all eyes will be on the upcoming Legislative Council elections for nine seats and by-poll for one seat, as two Bihar ministers Nishant Kumar and Deepak Prakash are set to enter the Upper House to fulfil the Constitutional requirement to retain their cabinet positions. The 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly elects 1/3 of the Council members.

According to sources, the Election Commission is likely to announce the election schedule in the last week of May. NDA is eyeing all 10 seats due to the overwhelming numbers in the Assembly, but a united Opposition may get one seat.

The NDA has seven of the 10 seats (JD-U 5, BJP-2), while RJD has two and Congress one. In the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly, 25 MLAs are required to elect one member to the Legislative Council and RJD has just as much but it was ditched by own MLA in the Rajya Sabha election and would need to keep the Opposition’s flock together.

Of the 10 seats going to polls, nine will fall vacant on June 28, 2026, while the tenth vacancy was created after former CM Nitish Kumar resigned from the Legislative Council following his election to the Rajya Sabha.

(With inputs from Prashant Ranjan, Ara)

Rai’s father-in-law Bijendra Yadav said that the victory was a big boost to the RJD. “Here the people wanted Rai and voted for him. RJD had lost the Assembly election also with the narrowest margin of just 27 votes,” he added.

“The NDA may have become a victim of its complacency and internal dissension, as in politics nothing can be taken for granted. RJD fought the election with a purpose,” said political analyst Prof NK Choudhary.