Bihar: Nitish not headed to Rajya Sabha, says JD(U) chief

Patna: Amid reports of Nitish Kumar shifting to Delhi as Rajya Sabha member to play a bigger role in uniting parties against BJP, Bihar JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh today dismissed any such possibility terming the reports as “imaginary.” “Why shall he go to Rajya Sabha?…he himself has taken the task of going to people to seek their mandate once again in 2015 Assembly poll,” Singh told a section of media. [caption id=“attachment_1462003” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Nitish Kumar. AFP[/caption] “There is neither fact in such reports nor is there any weight behind it,” he said dismissing chance of Kumar going to Rajya Sabha. Kumar demitted the office of chief minister after JD(U)’s drubbing in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections. A new bungalow on 7 Circular Road has been notified by the state Building Construction Department (BCD) in his name as former Chief Minister, Singh said to drive home his point. Singh himself is a Rajya Sabha member. Kumar at present is member of Bihar Legislative Council (MLC). The reports of Kumar going to Rajya Sabha arose in view of vacancy of three seats in the Upper House of Parliament from Bihar after victory of three existing members in the Lok Sabha poll. The three Rajya Sabha members who successfully contested the LS polls are–LJP President Ramvilas Paswan, BJP Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Ramkripal Yadav. Paswan has won Hajipur (SC) seat, Rudy defeated Rabri Devi in Saran constituency and Yadav emerged as a giant killer defeating Lalu Prasad’s daughter Misa Bharti at Patliputra. Ramkripal Yadav, who became Rajya Sabha member from RJD, had not resigned from the party even after walking out of Lalu Prasad’s party and joining the BJP on whose ticket he won from Patliputra. The reports suggested on the basis of huge numbers in Bihar Assembly, JD(U) could win two of the three RS seats. Name of its President Sharad Yadav who lost to Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav at Madhepura is also doing the rounds for the Upper House berth from Bihar. On the seat to be vacated by Ramkripal Yadav, speculation is rife that Rabri Devi would occupy it with the help of JD(U). The recent bonhomie between JD(U) and RJD triggered by the latter voting for the new Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is said to be a portent of things to come in the future. After loss of both, Rabri Devi and daughter Misa Bharti in LS poll, Prasad’s immediate concern seems to be to protect his bunglow in Lutyen’s Delhi, the reports said. PTI