Political tensions are simmering in Bihar ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16. Union Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi has firmly staked his claim on one of the seats, reminding the BJP of pre-election promises made ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Manjhi, who formed his party in 2015 after a stint as Bihar’s Chief Minister, addressed journalists in Gaya on Saturday. He asserted that top BJP leaders had assured HAM two Lok Sabha seats and one Rajya Sabha seat before the national elections. While his party delivered on one Lok Sabha constituency for the NDA, the Rajya Sabha commitment remains unfulfilled.
‘I am not demanding, but our party deserves at least one Rajya Sabha seat,’ Manjhi emphasized, highlighting his loyalty to the NDA alliance.
The Election Commission has notified elections for five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar, set to fall vacant in April. These include seats held by JD(U)’s Harivansh Narayan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur, RJD’s Prem Chand Gupta and Amarendra Dhari Singh, and RLJM’s Upendra Kushwaha, a former Union Minister who entered the Upper House with BJP support in 2025.
NDA currently controls three of these seats in the 243-member Bihar Assembly. Nomination papers must be filed by March 5, with scrutiny on March 6 and withdrawal deadline on March 9.
The BJP-led NDA has yet to announce its candidates, fueling speculation. Meanwhile, the opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD with just 25 MLAs, struggles to muster numbers. They are reportedly banking on support from AIMIM and BSP, despite no formal alliances.
The Mahagathbandhan’s tally stands at 35 MLAs in the assembly—six short of the minimum required to secure a Rajya Sabha seat. As the March 16 polling day approaches, Manjhi’s insistence could test NDA’s internal dynamics and seat-sharing negotiations.