New Delhi
The sweeping victory of the NDA in the Bihar election can help the ruling dispensation win all 10 Rajya Sabha seats in the upcoming biennial elections in the state over the remaining term of the Narendra Modi government.
Of these 10 seats, the RJD currently holds 3, which means that the NDA can improve its overall tally in the Upper House by three seats from Bihar. The NDA has 133 seats in the 245 MP-strong Rajya Sabha.
The term of five seats will be over next year. Another five seats will face biennial polls in 2028. The current term of the Narendra Modi government will end in May 2029.
RJD’s Prem Chand Gupta and AD Singh, deputy chairman Harivansh (JD(U)) and Ram Nath Thakur (JD(U)) and Rashtriya Lok Morcha lawmaker Upendra Kushwaha’s term will be over next year. With elections due in five seats, a party would require support of at least 42 MLAs to win a seat, as per the Rajya Sabha election formula. With 202 seats, the NDA will get four seats in the first preference votes. As the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan doesn’t have the requisite 42 votes to win a seat, the NDA can win the 5th seat in the second preference votes.
In the biennial election, each voter has to mark all the candidates in the order of preference. If there is no clear winner after the counting of first preference votes, the second preference votes would be counted to determine the winner.
{{/usCountry}}In the biennial election, each voter has to mark all the candidates in the order of preference. If there is no clear winner after the counting of first preference votes, the second preference votes would be counted to determine the winner.
{{/usCountry}}In 2028, Faiyaz Ahmed of RJD, Satish Chandra Dubey of the BJP, Khiru Mahto of JDU, BJP’s Manan Kumar Mishra and Shambu Sharan Patel (BJP) will complete their terms.