Patna, Feb 23 (IANS) Political activity has intensified in Bihar ahead of elections to five Rajya Sabha seats, with senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Bhai Virendra urging the party leadership to nominate Hina Shahab, wife of former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, as the joint candidate of the Grand Alliance.
Speaking to reporters at the Bihar Legislative Assembly premises on Monday, Bhai Virendra said that fielding Hina Shahab could strengthen opposition unity and help consolidate minority votes, including support from AIMIM led by Asaduddin Owaisi.
Bhai Virendra asserted that making Hina Shahab the Grand Alliance’s consensus candidate would help balance key political equations in the state.
He claimed that her nomination could secure the backing of five AIMIM MLAs, without which, he admitted, it would be difficult for the RJD-led alliance to win even a single Rajya Sabha seat.
He further made a bold claim that if Hina Shahab enters the fray, some MLAs from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) could also cross-vote in favour of the opposition.
Political observers view the statement as an attempt to test the waters and gauge the response of both allies and party leadership to Hina Shahab’s possible candidacy.
Meanwhile, AIMIM’s Bihar state president Akhtarul Iman has clarified that his party is also eyeing a Rajya Sabha berth.
He has suggested that an AIMIM leader should contest the election with the support of the entire opposition, including the RJD.
Adding to the intrigue, IP Gupta, an MLA from the IIP, a Grand Alliance ally, recently met Asaddudin Owaisi in Hyderabad, underlining AIMIM’s growing importance in the unfolding political arithmetic.
The terms of Harivansh Narayan Singh and Ram Nath Thakur of the Janata Dal United (JD-U), Upendra Kushwaha of the Rashtriya Lok Morcha, and RJD leaders Prem Chand Gupta and A D Singh are set to expire in April.
The Election Commission of India has fixed March 16 as the polling date.
In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, a candidate requires the support of at least 41 MLAs to win a Rajya Sabha seat.
Numerically, the NDA enjoys a comfortable strength of 202 MLAs, ensuring victory for four of its candidates, though it falls short by three votes for the fifth seat.
On the other hand, the RJD-led Grand Alliance has 35 MLAs and needs six additional votes. In this tight contest, the backing of one BSP MLA and five AIMIM MLAs could prove decisive for Tejashwi Yadav and the opposition camp.
–IANS
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