Rajya Sabha polls: Sharad Pawar among 26 elected unopposed
What's the story
Twenty-six leaders have been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from seven states. The list includes prominent names like veteran Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Thambi Durai, Vinod Tawde, and Babul Supriyo. However, three states, namely, Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana, are yet to resolve their elections.
Bihar election
Bihar
In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Ramnath Thakur of Janata Dal (United) (JDU), along with Bharatiya Janata Party's Nitin Nabin and Shivam Kumar, are virtually assured of election. The fifth seat is contested between the National Democratic Alliance's Upendra Kushwaha and Mahagathbandhan's AD Singh. The Mahagathbandhan needs 41 votes to win, with its current strength at 35 MLAs.
Support dynamics
AIMIM MLAs pledge support to RJD
All five All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLAs have pledged support to Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal. The decision was made at an Iftaar hosted by Akhtarul Iman, AIMIM's Bihar president. The alliance also includes one Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA. Meanwhile, Kushwaha needs votes from at least three Grand Alliance MLAs to win and is eyeing six Congress MLAs and the lone BSP MLA for support.
Odisha election
Odisha
In Odisha, the BJP and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are likely to win two seats each. State BJP chief Manmohan Samal, Rajya Sabha MP Sujit Kumar, and Santrupt Mishra are set to be elected unopposed. However, Dilip Ray's candidacy has led to a contest for the fourth seat. The BJP needs eight more votes for Ray's victory, while the BJD has enough support with 48 seats.
Haryana election
Haryana
In Haryana, the BJP and Congress are set to win one seat each. The BJP's Sanjay Bhatia will win with support from 53 MLAs, while Congress's Karamvir Boddh will win with a surplus of six votes. Independent candidate Satish Nandal has disrupted the electoral arithmetic by filing his nomination papers. Nandal needs nine votes for victory, which would require cross-voting from Congress members.
Strategic move
Congress shifts MLAs to Himachal Pradesh
To counter Nandal's bid, the Congress has shifted 31 of its MLAs to Himachal Pradesh. The six MLAs who stayed back include Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda and five others. They have informed the party's central leadership about their decision. This strategic move indicates that the upcoming voting in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana could yield unexpected results.