Grand Alliance Rift Widens As RJD Blames Congress After NDA Clinches Fifth Rajya Sabha Seat In Bihar

Last Updated:March 17, 2026, 09:18 IST

The contest for the fifth Rajya Sabha seat swung in the NDA’s favour after three Congress MLAs and one RJD legislator failed to turn up for voting.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) turned its fire on ally Congress after the Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured the fifth Rajya Sabha seat from Bihar in elections held on Monday, triggering fresh strains within the opposition’s Grand Alliance.

The contest swung in the NDA’s favour after three Congress MLAs and one RJD legislator failed to turn up for voting, upsetting the opposition’s carefully worked-out numbers.

The absence paved the way for NDA-backed candidate Upendra Kushwaha, chief of the Rashtriya Lok Manch, to defeat RJD nominee AD Singh.

Given the numbers in the Bihar Assembly, victories for JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar and Ram Nath Thakur, along with BJP leaders Nitin Nabin and Shivam Kumar, were already assured.

The fifth seat, however, was expected to be closely fought, with the Grand Alliance banking on outside support to reach the required threshold.

The opposition bloc, which has 35 MLAs of its own, had secured backing from five legislators of the AIMIM and one MLA from the Bahujan Samaj Party to touch the magic figure of 41.

While the AIMIM eventually voted in favour of the RJD and the BSP legislator stood by the alliance, the plan unravelled when Congress MLAs Manoj Biswas, Manohar Prasad Singh and Surendra Kushwaha skipped the vote. RJD MLA Faisal Rahman was also absent.

The no-shows have fuelled anger within the RJD, with party leaders privately blaming Congress for failing to manage dissent within its ranks. The issue has also revived memories of past coordination failures between the two allies.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, however, publicly accused the BJP of indulging in horse-trading. He alleged that inducements were offered to lawmakers who either voted against the alliance or stayed away. “We are prepared to fight them, and our struggle will continue," he said.

The episode has once again highlighted the uneasy relationship between the RJD and Congress in Bihar.

During the last Assembly elections, prolonged seat-sharing negotiations between the two parties led to confusion, rebel candidates and losses in several constituencies.

Despite joint campaigns by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, internal discord blunted the opposition’s momentum.

Sources suggest there is little likelihood of disciplinary action against the absentee MLAs, as expulsion would not cost them their Assembly membership.

News politics Grand Alliance Rift Widens As RJD Blames Congress After NDA Clinches Fifth Rajya Sabha Seat In Bihar

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