Bihar MLC elections: BJP to contest on 13 of 24 seats; Mukesh Sahani rebels as term ends

Amid the rising resentment of NDA ally Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP), BJP on Saturday announced that it will contest in 13 of the 24 Bihar legislative council seats in the upcoming MLC elections. Addressing reporters, Bihar Deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad stated that parties will contest on seats as per their strength in Assembly. 24 MLC seats will fall vacant - 13 belonging to BJP, 8 to JDU, 2 of RJD and 1 of Congress.

BJP to fight on 13 MLC seats

Earlier this week, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani has threatened to pull from the ruling Nitish Kumar government if BJP contests on the Bochaha seat in the upcoming by-elections. The assembly seat under the Muzaffarpur district fell vacant after VIP MLA Musafir Paswan's demise. Sahani has also challenged the BJP to removed his 3 MLAs from the coalition if it dares.  NDA holds a wafer-thin majority of 125 in the 243- seat Assembly - BJP (74), JDU(43), HAM (4), VIP(4). 

Sahani has been miffed with the BJP for not allotting two cabinet posts to VIP and not giving him a full 6-year tenure in the Legislative council after his defeat in Bihar Assembly polls. Stung by BJP MP Ajay Nishad's constant taunts against him. BJP's other ally Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) too has threatened to pull out from the coalition after its founder - Jitan Ram Manjhi - was insulted by some BJP MLAs over his 'anti-Brahmin' statements.

"BJP MP Ajay Nishad is abusing me saying that I have become a minister on the compensatory ground. He is abusing and humiliating me at the behest of the top brass of the BJP. They should understand that the Bihar govt is based on the support of four parties and my VIP  party has four MLAs and we are an important ally. BJP is conspiring against me," said Sahani to Republic TV, recently.

Moreover, Sahani - who is part of the Nitish Kumar cabinet  - has announced that it will contest in 165 seats in UP state polls, countering the ruling BJP which eyes a consecutive term for Yogi Adityanath. He released the first list of 24 candidates, fielding 19 Nishad community candidates. Sahani has also been needling the BJP by meeting Bihar Opposition leaders - Chirag Paswan, Lalu Yadav and has also heaped praises on Tejashwi Yadav.

Sahani's MLC woes

7 MLCs - including Sahani will complete their term on July 21 and it is highly unlikely that he will be fielded again by the BJP. Apart from Sahani, Md Qamar Alam, Gulam Rasool, Ranvijay Kumar Singh, C P Sinha and Rozina Nazish from JD(U) and Arjun Sahni from BJP too will complete their term. Similarly, Congress too wants to field 5-6 candidates in the 24 seat MLC polls, but is not being allowed by RJD. The Mahagathbandhan has already been broken by Lalu Yadav himself after the by-poll drubbing.