Rashtriya Janata Dal defers decision on Rajya Sabha bypoll till Wednesday

PATNA: RJD, which holds the key to outcome of bypolls on two Rajya Sabha seats, today deferred its decision till tomorrow afternoon to firm up its stand on Thursday's voting.

The decision was taken at a meeting of RJD Legislature Party at former Chief Minister Rabri Devi's residence.

RJD Legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui told reporters that the meeting has been adjourned till 3 pm tomorrow.

"RJD MLAs will meet again at 3 pm at the same venue tomorrow and party President Lalu Prasad will take a final decision on Thursday's voting for the two seats," he said.

17 out of 21 RJD MLAs attended the meeting in presence of Lalu Prasad. Four MLAs - Dinesh Kumar Singh, Kedar Singh, Anirudh Yadav and Raghvendra Pratap Singh -- did not attend due to some personal problems.

Siddiqui, however, said those who could not attend the meeting today, would do so tomorrow.

RJD holds key to results of the two seats which is witnessing stiff competition between JD(U) official candidates and two Independents backed by rebels and BJP.

Considering the fact, former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had dialled Prasad last Friday and appealed for support to JD(U) nominees to foil BJP's design to topple Jitan Ram Manjhi government and thrust an early election on the state.

Given its strength, victory for JD(U)'s two candidates by securing 51 per cent votes against Independents would not have been difficult.

But with a sizeable section of JD(U) MLAs turning rebels and openly supporting nomination of Independents and the BJP indicating to help to them, the situation has become tricky for Nitish Kumar's party.

A dissident MLA said, "Two outsiders from Uttar Pradesh -- Pawan Varma and Gulam Rasool Balyawi -- have been made nominees for the RS bypoll when the party claims to protect the interest of Bihar."

Defectors from other parties had been made ministers at the cost of genuine party workers, he alleged.

There was no official head count of MLAs attending the meeting, which was attended by party chief Sharad Yadav and former chief minister Nitish Kumar.

Meanwhile, the state Chief Electoral Officer in a communique to the Assembly Secretary with a copy of past decisions of the Supreme Court said that legislators should have freedom for open voting.

The communique was put up on Assembly notice boards and leaders of all the political parties were forwarded a copy of it, Assembly Secretary Hareram Mukhiya, returning officer for the RS bypoll, said.