No cakewalk for Janata Dal (United) nominees Pavan Kumar Varma and Ghulam Rasool Baliyavi

PATNA: It won't be a cakewalk for the two JD (U) official candidates - Pavan Kumar Varma and Ghulam Rasool Baliyavi - as the rebels get tacit support of the 21 RJD MLAs in the byelection for the three Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar on May 19. Pavan Kumar Varma said he resigned as cultural adviser to the chief minister before filing his nomination papers. CM Jitan Ram Manjhi said he would appoint a successor to Varma shortly.

As per the strength of the BJP, RJD and rebel JDU MLAs (who claim to be over 50), the independents could spoil the JD (U) party. Ravindra Rai, the MLA from Mahua who was suspended from the party on Sunday, was seen actively assisting the independent candidates in filling up the nomination papers and affidavits in the returning officer's office. Rai is considered close to JD (U) national president Sharad Yadav who is one of the party's three candidates in the fray.

A candidate requires 51% of the total votes of the assembly members to win a Rajya Sabha seat. Returning officer Hare Ram Mukhiya said the assembly has the strength of 232 only as there are 11 vacancies. The JD (U) has 117 members, including Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary, the BJP has 84, RJD 21, Congress 4, CPI one and there are five independents. Each candidate will need 118 first preference votes for sure victory. Since Sharad has no other candidate against him, he is to be declared elected uncontested. For the remaining two seats, there would be contest between JD (U) official candidates and independents backed by rebel JD (U) and BJP MLAs.

The nomination papers of Sabir Ali was signed by Gajanand Prasad Shahi, JD (U) MLA from Barbigha, Daud Ali, MLA from Dumraon, and eight other dissident MLAs of the ruling party. The JD (U) MLAs who signed the papers of the independents include Gyanendra Kumar Singh Gyanu, Rahul Sharma, Raju Kumar Singh, Sujata Devi, Anil Kumar, Ajit Kumar, Renu Kumari Kushwaha, Poonam Devi, Ravindra Rai, Amla Devi, Neeraj Kumar Bablu, Dinesh Kuswaha, Rajesh Singh, Krishnananad Paswan and the BJP MLAs Shivesh Kumar, Sanjay Singh Tiger, Nitin Navin, Bhumendra Narain Singh, Munni Devi, Asha Devi, Kanhaiya Rajbhar and independent Pawan Jaiswal who had supported the Nitish government during the trust vote last year.

Dilip Kumar Jaiswal, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Kishanganj, said he filed his papers as independent candidate with the support of JD (U), RJD and other party MLAs.

Sabir Ali, whom JD (U) had denied renomination after his Rajya Sabha term expired a few months back, said BJP legislators also signed his papers.