Parties combine to defeat RJD in RS polls

Patna, Mar 19 (UNI) Anti-Lalu combine in Bihar, which touched the crest during last year's Assembly polls, spilled over to the biennial elections to six Rajya Sabha seats from the state slated for March 29 next.

Repeating the exercise of Assembly polls-2005, the LJP refused to join the bandwagon of RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who fielded two candidates for six Upper House seats with assured support from the Congress, the NCP and the CPI (M).

In a 243-member Assembly with one seat vacant, at least 35 first preference votes are required to capture a Rajya Sabha seat, RJD's first nominee Prof Jabir Hussain would sail through although the second candidate from the party Rajniti Prasad falls short of required votes by five.

All the four candidates, sponsored by the NDA, would sail through with two first preference votes reamaining surplus. The NDA kept everybody guessing on the use of the surplus votes although under no circumstances, the alliance partners are inclined to support the RJD candidate.

The LJP put up old warhouse Ranjan Prasad Yadav, a friend-turned foe of Lalu Prasad on the strength of 13 base votes (LJP-10 + CPI-3) and support of five CPI (ML) members. Mr Yadav was hopeful of securing support of two Samajwadi Party (SP) members and claimed that the NDA would throw their weight on him with two surplus votes.

Even going by the LJP's arithmatic, the total votes garnered by the party candidate would touch 22 only against a requirement of 35. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with four votes and 11 Independents would decide the fate of the LJP candidate Mr Yadav and RJD second nominee Mr Prasad.

The BSP, however, kept their cards close to the chest with no announcement on support to either of the two candidates.

Present break up of members partywise in the present Bihar Assembly is as follows: JD (U)-88, BJP-54, RJD-54, LJP-10, Congress-09, CPI (ML)-05, BSP-04, CPI-03, SP-02, NCP and CPI(M), one each and Independents-11.

UNI DH-BNG SJC AB 1806