NDA Sweeps All Five Rajya Sabha Seats from Bihar, Opposition Alleges Missing MLAs

Patna, March 2026 : The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a decisive victory in the elections for five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar, winning all the seats and delivering a major setback to the Opposition alliance, commonly referred to as the Mahagathbandhan.

The NDA had fielded a strong slate of candidates that included Nitish Kumar, Nitin Nabin, Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur, Upendra Kushwaha, and BJP nominee Shivesh Ram. All five candidates emerged victorious in the election.

The voting took place in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, where the NDA’s strong numerical strength ensured a comfortable win. According to the voting figures, 202 MLAs from the NDA cast their votes, while 37 MLAs from the Mahagathbandhan participated in the polling process.

However, the election also witnessed controversy as several Opposition MLAs were absent during the voting. On behalf of the Opposition, three legislators from the Indian National Congress — Manoj Biswas, Surendra Kushwaha, and Manohar Prasad Singh — along with Faisal Rahman of the Rashtriya Janata Dal were not present in the Assembly during the voting.

Reacting to the absence of the Congress legislators, Rajesh Ram alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party had abducted the party’s MLAs. He claimed that although the BJP is in power, the three legislators had been in constant contact with the party leadership until March 13. According to him, the missing MLAs were possibly placed under house arrest.

The counting of votes began at 5 p.m., and the results soon confirmed the NDA’s clean sweep. Based on first preference votes, Nitish Kumar, Nitin Nabin, Ram Nath Thakur and Upendra Kushwaha secured immediate victories. BJP candidate Shivesh Ram, however, won his seat through the second preference vote count.

Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan’s candidate A. D. Singh managed to secure 38 votes, which was insufficient to challenge the NDA’s dominance in the Assembly.

In the second preference round, Shivesh Ram received additional votes, ensuring that the NDA secured all five seats.

The Bihar Legislative Assembly has 243 members, and the Rajya Sabha election was held to fill five seats. Although six candidates contested the election, the NDA’s overwhelming majority — with the support of around 202 MLAs — proved decisive. In comparison, the Mahagathbandhan currently has around 35 MLAs, placing it at a clear disadvantage.

Reacting to the victory, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary congratulated Nitin Nabin, praising his leadership, organisational ability and commitment to public service. Choudhary expressed confidence that Nabin’s presence in the Rajya Sabha would help strengthen efforts related to Bihar’s development.

Another Deputy Chief Minister, Vijay Kumar Sinha, also criticised the Opposition over the outcome of the election. He said the conduct of the RJD and Congress had been exposed, pointing out that even their own MLAs did not participate in the voting. According to him, the result reflects the declining support for the Opposition among both legislators and the public.

Team Maverick