Bihar Opposition RJD, ruling JD(U) gear up for upcoming polls to eight legislative Council seats

The Bihar Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the ruling Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) are preparing for upcoming legislative council elections to eight seats in Bihar, with the RJD announcing names for six candidates and the JD(U) confirming parties for two graduate constituencies. Other parties are likely to follow suit soon.

The Jan Suraaj Party, led by former poll strategist Prashant Kishor, has also announced its intention to contest the elections across all eight seats. The term of these candidates will expire on November 16, 2026, and elections are expected to be held by the end of September. The NDA holds three seats, the mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) two, while the remaining seats are held by independent candidates, including those supported by the Jan Suraaj Party.

The RJD has named Sanjeev Kumar Singh and Prof Jairam Yadav from Patna and Saran teacher's constituencies, respectively, while the JD(U) has chosen Dilip Kumar and Anil Kumar Jha for Patna and graduate constituencies. State Party president Mangani Lal Mandal stated that names for the remaining teacher's constituencies, Darbhanga and Tirhut, will be announced soon.

However, party leader Rohini Acharya expressed dissatisfaction with the selection process, stating that it is an insult to prioritize opportunistic faces over dedicated party leaders. Meanwhile, the JD(U) has decided to contest four seats, with Neeraj Kumar and Abhishek Jha named as possible candidates for Patna and Tirhut graduate constituencies.

The BJP has not yet announced its candidates, but within the JD(U), Mokama MLA Anant Singh supports Anuj Singh for the Patna graduate seat, despite party calls for unity. The Jan Suraaj Party, though yet to finalize decisions, believes the small margin of error in both teacher's and graduate constituencies could influence the election results.