The votes of the RJD legislators crucially helped the two official nominees of Bihar’s ruling JD(U) win in a keenly contested bypoll for two Rajya Sabha seats on Thursday despite cross-voting in favour of the two independent candidates fielded by the JD(U)’s rebels with apparent BJP support.
High drama and political suspense prevailed during the voting a day after RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav announced his party’s support to the JD(U)’s candidates following a request from his arch rival and former chief minister Nitish Kumar, whose prestige and leadership over the party were at stake due to the raging rebellion in its ranks.
Diplomat-turned-politician Pavan Kumar Varma and little-known politician Gulam Rasool Balyawi won, trouncing former JD(U) RS member Sabir Ali and real estate baron Anil Sharma, who had unsuccessfully contested the recent Lok Sabha polls on a JD(U) ticket.
At least 23 legislators reportedly cross-voted — 19 from the JD(U) and two each from the RJD and the Congress. Mr Varma won with 122 votes he secured against Mr Sharma’s 108 while Mr Balyawi managed to get 123 votes against Mr Ali’s 107. JD(U) national president Sharad Yadav was declared elected unopposed for one of the three vacant RS seats last week.
The three seats fell vacant because LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy and former RJD leader Ram Kripal Yadav got elected to the Lok Sabha.
The thin victory margin of the two JD(U) nominees indicated the RJD’s vital help.
The BJP’s 84 legislators all voted in favour of the independent candidates. JD(U) leaders thanked the RJD chief and his MLAs profusely after the victory, saying the BJP’s “conspiracies to destabilise the state government” were foiled.
“The RJD chief, who was in touch with us and assuring us of success till yesterday morning, made an overnight U-turn evidently after some deal with the JD(U), which he must reveal to Bihar’s people,” said Mr Ali. Mr Sharma termed the bypoll outcome “political loss of both Yadav and Kumar” and said Mr Yadav had told him that the RJD would never back the JD(U). JD(U)’s rebel leader and MLA Gyanendra Singh Gyanu said it was Mr Yadav who was instrumental in putting up the two independent candidates.