Patna, March 15 (NationPress) In preparation for the upcoming election for five Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, the Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, convened an important meeting with lawmakers from the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) and representatives of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Sunday at Hotel Panache.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) asserts that it has the backing of 48 legislators for their candidate in the election.

However, recent reports indicate that only two members from the Indian National Congress have arrived at the hotel so far.

These two Congress MLAs present are Kamrul Houda, representing Kishanganj, and Abhishek Ranjan, from Chanpatia.

As of the time of reporting, four other Congress MLAs, namely Manohar Singh (Manihari), Manoj Biswas (Forbesganj), Abdur Rahman (Araria Sadar), and Surendra Kushwaha (Valmikinagar), had yet to arrive at the venue.

In a statement to the press, Bhai Virendra, the MLA from Maner, emphasized that the Mahagathbandhan has sufficient numbers to secure the fifth seat. He stated, "We have 48 MLAs; claiming 41 is a conservative estimate. The BJP lacks any substantial support. Our fifth candidate is poised for victory," he noted, mentioning that additional legislators are joining their coalition, although he did not disclose their party affiliations.

The political atmosphere intensified following an Iftar gathering hosted by Akhtarul Iman, the Bihar state president of AIMIM.

This event saw attendance from Tejashwi Yadav and other opposition leaders.

After the meeting, Akhtarul Iman confirmed that all five AIMIM MLAs would cast their votes for the RJD candidate, A.D. Singh.

Tejashwi Yadav commented, "We were invited to the Iftar gathering by AIMIM and accepted. We have requested their support for the Rajya Sabha elections. I am optimistic that all secular parties will come together to challenge the BJP."

On the other hand, leaders from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) voiced confidence in securing victory.

Jivesh Mishra, a former Bihar minister and BJP MLA, criticized Tejashwi Yadav, stating, "While we focus on driving development in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav is preoccupied with attending Iftar gatherings."

Similarly, Madan Sahani asserted that the success of all NDA candidates is guaranteed and mentioned that MLAs have been briefed on the voting process to prevent any vote wastage.

Dilip Jaiswal added that the NDA has established a voting strategy and designated which MLAs would support which candidates.

Voting for the five Rajya Sabha seats is scheduled for March 16 at the Bihar Legislative Assembly from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with results announced later that day after the counting.

With six candidates vying for five seats, the competition for the fifth seat is anticipated to be particularly intense.