PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and RJD leader Rabri Devi were among the 11 candidates declared elected unopposed today in the biennial elections to the state legislative council.
Since there were only 11 nominations for as many vacancies in the state Upper House, all the candidates were declared elected unopposed after end of the deadline for withdrawal today.
Among the winners, four belong to the RJD, three each to the JD(U) and the BJP besides one from the Congress.
Of the 11 members, whose term will expire on May 6, five belong to the JD(U), four to the BJP and one to the RJD.
The ruling JD(U) and the BJP lost two seats and one seat respectively in the biennial Council polls while the RJD gained three seats and the Congress one seat.
"All the 11 candidates were declared elected unopposed in biennial elections to the Legislative Council. I gave them certificates (for getting elected to the Legislative Council)," Bihar Assembly Secretary-cum-Returning Officer Ram Shrestha Rai told PTI.
Both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and former Bihar CM Rabri Devi had authorised Bihar JD(U) president Bashistha Narayan Singh and RJD MLA Bhola Yadav respectively to receive the certificates, Rai said adding they were given the same.
Others who were declared elected unopposed by the Returning officer included Rameshwar Mahto and Khalid Anwar (both the JD-U), state Health Minister Mangal Pandey, former union minister Sanjay Paswan (both BJP) Ramchandra Purbe, Khurshid Mohsin and Santosh Manjhi (all three from the RJD) and Prem Chandra Mishra of the Congress.
After receiving the certificate, the newly elected Congress MLC Prem Chandra Mishra told reporters here that "it is an opportunity for me to effectively raise issues concerning common people and also put effectively the Congress party's role in strengthening the Opposition's voice.
"Health Minister Mangal Pandey said, "I have discharged my duty with full sincerity and honesty in whatever responsibility the party bestowed upon me.Now the party has once again given me the opportunity and I would continue to work hard for people."
It will be the third consecutive term for both Kumar and his deputy Modi to the legislative council while it will be the second term in continuity for Rabri Devi in the Council.
After coming to power for the first time in 2005 heading an NDA coalition of the JD(U) and the BJP, both Kumar and Modi have been members of Bihar's Upper House.
Congress' Prem Chandra Mishra, BJP's Sanjay Paswan, JD(U)'s Rameshwar Mahto and Khalid Anwar, RJD's Santosh Manjhi and Khurshid Mohsin would be making their debut in the Upper House.
With the election of Congress' Prem Chandra Mishra to the upper house, the party's tally in the Upper House would increase to three along with two other members Madan Mohan Jha and Rajesh Ram.
A few months back, four of the six MLCs led by Ashok Choudhary, the former minister and ex-Bihar Congress chief, had effected a split in legislature party and merged with the JD(U).