The Hindu : National : Nitish files nomination

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Saturday, Mar 18, 2006

National

National

Nitish files nomination

Special Correspondent

To contest Legislative Council election; 7 in fray for 6 Rajya Sabha seats

PHOTO: RANJEET KUMAR

GEARING UP: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar filing his nomination papers for the biennial election to the Legislative Council, in Patna on Friday.

PATNA: After filing his nomination paper for the Bihar Legislative Council on Friday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made no bones about the NDA's effort to widen differences within the UPA allies in the forthcoming biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha.

The election to the State Council is, now, a closed chapter with all 11 candidates set to be elected unopposed. However, there are seven candidates for the six Rajya Sabha seats, elections for which will be held on March 29.

The contest for the sixth seat is between the Rashtriya Janata Dal's Rajniti Prasad and the Lok Janshakti Party vice-president Ranjan Prasad Yadav.

It will be easy sailing for the RJD candidate and Chairman of State Legislative Council Jabir Hussain, BJP nominee Ravi Shankar Prasad and Mahendra Prasad Singh of Janata Dal (United), Ali Anwar and Mahendra Sahni.

The Chief Minister hinted that the NDA would support the LJP nominee, who is likely to get only 13 votes, including three of the CPI as against the RJD nominee's 30, which includes the support of the Congress, NCP and the CPI(M). A clear victory requires 35 votes.

The LJP is hoping to get support from the CPI(ML) which has five MLAs. The RJD can sail through if it can garner support from the Bahujan Samaj Party (four) and the Samajwadi Party (two).

There are 10 independents, a section of which supports the NDA. Both the RJD and the LJP think tanks are eyeing those yet to align with the NDA.

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