The Mahagathbandhan’s prospects in the Bihar Rajya Sabha elections received a significant boost on Sunday when the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen confirmed that all five of its Bihar MLAs would vote in favour of the opposition alliance’s candidate, Amarendra Dhari Singh, in Monday’s polls. The announcement came after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav attended an Iftar party hosted by AIMIM at the residence of the party’s Bihar state president, Akhtarul Iman, in Patna.
When Tejashwi arrived at the gathering, Iman welcomed him with a bouquet and embraced him, a moment widely read in political circles as a public signal of the two parties coming together ahead of the crucial vote.
AIMIM Announces Support, RJD Expresses Confidence
Akhtarul Iman confirmed the decision clearly after the event. “This election is not a matter of complicated strategy. All five of our MLAs have decided to support the RJD candidate, A.D. Singh,” he said, though he declined to respond to questions about whether any conditions were attached to the support.
Tejashwi was equally upbeat. “We received an invitation to the Iftar party from AIMIM and attended it. We have sought their support for the Rajya Sabha elections. I am confident that we will unite and defeat the BJP,” he said.
Numbers Still Tight, BSP MLA Holds the Key
Despite the AIMIM pledge, the Mahagathbandhan’s arithmetic remains precarious. The opposition alliance has a total of 35 MLAs, including 25 from the RJD, and needs 41 votes to ensure its candidate’s victory. With AIMIM’s five MLAs on board, the tally reaches approximately 40, still one short of what is needed. The vote of the lone BSP MLA, whose position remains unclear, could prove to be the deciding factor in whether the Mahagathbandhan succeeds in winning the fifth Rajya Sabha seat.
RJD Moves MLAs to Hotel, Alleges BJP Poaching Attempts
Taking no chances, the RJD has shifted all its MLAs to a single hotel in Patna to prevent any possibility of cross-voting or defection ahead of the polls. Party leaders alleged that the ruling NDA might attempt to use financial muscle and political influence to win over opposition legislators.
RJD chief spokesperson Shakti Yadav alleged that the BJP had forcibly fielded a fifth candidate in the race and warned that the ruling alliance would try to win by leveraging its resources. Former legislators have reportedly been assigned to keep watch over sitting MLAs and report any suspicious activity to the party leadership.
The Contest and Its Background
The Rajya Sabha election in Bihar is taking place after a gap of 12 years, made necessary after the RJD decided to field its own candidate for the fifth seat. Six candidates are contesting for five Rajya Sabha seats that will fall vacant on April 9, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP’s Bihar unit president Nitin Nabin among those in the fray. The contest for the fifth seat is being watched closely as it represents a direct test of strength between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan in a state that is already heating up ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
