Litterateur and academician Ram Bachan Rai is new Council chairman

Ram Bachan Rai, a distinguished Janata Dal (United) leader and respected academic, assumed the role of Chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council on Monday, following the resignation of BJP leader Awadhesh Narain Singh. This leadership transition underscores the collaborative power-sharing dynamics between the governing coalition partners, the BJP and JD(U). In this arrangement, the Speaker’s position at the Legislative Assembly is held by the BJP, while the Council Chairman's post remains with the JD(U).

Rai, who had been serving as the Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council since July 2024, has now transitioned into his new role as presiding officer. Expressing his satisfaction with the responsibility bestowed upon him, Rai emphasized his belief in fulfilling tasks without expecting any personal gains.

A prominent figure in Bihar’s literary and political arena, Rai brings a wealth of academic and legislative experience to the role. He is recognized as a notable literary critic and scholar, having previously served as a Professor and Head of the Hindi Department at Patna University. Rai's political career began during the Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) Movement in 1974, and he was first elected to the Upper House as an MLC in 2004.

Rai, who transitioned from the RJD to the JD(U) in July 2011, was nominated to the Legislative Council under the Governor’s quota in March 2021 for a term ending in March 2027. He was subsequently elected unopposed as Deputy Chairperson in July 2024. A senior JD(U) leader expressed that the party had been advocating for the Council Chairman position for some time, given their joint status as a strong and almost equal ally with 85 seats compared to the BJP's 89 seats in the Assembly.

The BJP state vice-president, Santosh Pathak, confirmed that the Council Chairman post falls to the JD(U) as per the coordination of the NDA alliance. He explained that since the BJP holds the Speaker's position in the Legislative Assembly, the Council position goes to the JD(U).