Rajya Sabha polls: AIMIM extends support to Mahagathbandhan candidate in Bihar
PATNA: The Mahagathbandhan candidate’s chances in the Rajya Sabha elections have improved after Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen) announced on Sunday that it would support the opposition alliance’s nominee in the polls.
The breakthrough came after RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav attended an Iftar party hosted by AIMIM at the residence of the party’s state president, Akhtarul Iman.
After the Iftar party, Iman announced that the party’s five MLAs would support Mahagathbandhan candidate Amarendra Dhari Singh in the Rajya Sabha elections to be held on Monday.
On the other hand, Tejashwi said, “Akhtarul Iman from the AIMIM party had invited us for Iftar, and we have arrived here today for the Iftar. We have sought support from the AIMIM party, and I am confident that in tomorrow's Rajya Sabha election, all secular parties will come together to defeat the BJP...”
Leaving nothing to chance, RJD MLAs have been moved to a posh hotel in Patna to pre-empt any possibility of a split within the ranks or cross-voting.
RJD leaders alleged that the ruling alliance might attempt to poach their legislators and, for this reason, the party decided to lodge all its MLAs at a single location. According to sources, former legislators have also been assigned the responsibility of keeping a close watch on the sitting MLAs and promptly reporting any suspicious activity to the party leadership.
RJD chief spokesperson Shakti Yadav alleged that the BJP had forcibly fielded a fifth candidate in the fray. He claimed the BJP might attempt to win the election by leveraging its financial muscle and political influence, but it would not find it an easy task.
The RJD cannot win a Rajya Sabha seat without the support of the five AIMIM MLAs. The Mahagathbandhan has a total of 35 MLAs, including 25 from the RJD, and requires the support of 41 MLAs to ensure victory for its candidate. Despite AIMIM’s support, the Mahagathbandhan will still need the backing of the BSP MLA to win the poll.
The Rajya Sabha election in Bihar is being held after 12 years, necessitated after the RJD decided to field its candidate for the fifth seat. There are six candidates, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP president Nitin Nabin, contesting for five Rajya Sabha seats that will fall vacant on April 9.