BJP Nominates Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar for Bihar's Rajya Sabha Elections
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Patna, March 3 (NationPress) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has revealed its candidates for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar, selecting Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar Ram to compete for two available seats.
Nitin Nabin, who currently serves as an MLA for the Bankipur Assembly constituency in Patna district, was appointed as a minister after the NDA coalition established governance following the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. However, he resigned from his ministerial role upon being named the BJP's national president.
Shivesh Kumar ran in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Sasaram (SC-reserved) constituency but was defeated by Congress candidate Manoj Kumar Ram by a margin of 19,157 votes. His selection for the Rajya Sabha is interpreted as a strategic decision by the party.
With the BJP finalizing its candidates, attention now turns to the list from Janata Dal (United). Under the NDA agreement, JD(U) is anticipated to secure two of the four NDA-backed seats.
Speculation has circulated regarding potential nominees, including Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur and Nishant Kumar, the son of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
There had been significant chatter that Bhojpuri film star Pawan Singh might be nominated by the BJP for the Rajya Sabha, but the party's recent announcement has quelled such rumors.
Scheduled for March 16, the elections will fill five vacant Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, with nominations due by March 5.
The outgoing members include Ramnath Thakur (JDU), Harivansh Narayan Singh (JDU), Upendra Kushwaha (RLM), Prem Chand Gupta (RJD), and Amarendra Dhari Singh (RJD).
With the current assembly strength comprising 202 MLAs, acquiring one Rajya Sabha seat necessitates 41 votes. A total of 205 MLAs will be needed to secure all five seats.
The ruling NDA coalition is expected to confidently win four of the five seats based on present numbers, while the fifth seat may be competitive, as neither the NDA nor the opposition Grand Alliance holds a decisive majority.
By announcing its candidates for the allocated seats, the BJP has indicated its strategy of nominating leaders capable of effectively advocating for Bihar's interests at the national level.
This development has sparked heightened political discussions across the state as various parties finalize their strategies ahead of the upcoming elections.