JD(U) wins in Bihar Rajya Sabha by-elections

PATNA: JD(U) candidates, diplomat-turned-politician Pavan Kumar Varma and Gulam Rasool Balyawi, managed to win in the Rajya Sabha bye-elections, overcoming cross-voting by party MLAs in favour of BJP-backed Independents, thanks to help from RJD and some other parties.

Varma and Balyawi defeated Independents Anil Sharma and Sabir Ali, assembly secretary Hareram Mukhiya told reporters here. Varma secured 122 votes against Anil Sharma’s 108, while for the other seat, JD(U)’s Gulam Rasool Balyawi bagged 123 votes against Sabir Ali’s 107, he said. There was cross-voting by members from JD( U), RJD and Congress.

JD(U) candidates should have got 143 votes on the basis of strength of 116 MLAs of the party, besides 20 of RJD, 4 of Congress, 2 Independents and 1 CPI.

The two Independents, real estate baron Anil Sharma and Sabir Ali, bagged 17 and 16 votes of JD(U) dissidents, because of cross voting by two members each from RJD and Congress. All 232 MLAs, barring two, voted. The two MLAs who did not vote included BJP’s Rameshwar Chaurasia who has gone to the US and RJD’s Kedar Singh, absconding in a criminal case. The effective strength of Bihar Assembly at present is 232 following 11 vacancies.

Though detailed voting patterns of voting by members of different political parties were not known at the time of going to the press, initial indications were that MLAs of JD(U), RJD and Congress cross voted, violating party lines. On the directions of the EC, no parties issued whip in the by-polls for the two RS seats.

JD(U) dissidents group leader Gyanendra Singh Gyanu told reporters after the voting that 22 party MLAs have voted against official candidates. Gyanu claimed before reporters that minister Sahid Ali Khan had voted for Anil Sharma but not for another Independent Sabir Ali.