RJD fields AD Singh, contest on for Bihar Rajya Sabha fifth seat

While Nitish Kumar's Rajya Sabha nomination grabbed the limelight, another development on Thursday could lead to a contest for the fifth seat from Bihar. RJD candidate AD Singh filed his nomination, setting up a likely contest with BJP's Shivesh Kumar. Singh's current term ends in April.

In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, 41 votes are required to secure one Rajya Sabha seat. With 202 MLAs, the NDA can comfortably win four seats but will need three additional votes to secure the fifth seat. On the other hand, the opposition INDIA bloc has 35 MLAs and would require six more votes to win the seat.

In this situation, the votes of six AIMIM MLAs and one BSP MLA are expected to be crucial. While the NDA claims it will comfortably win all five seats, RJD candidate AD Singh also appears confident.

"There is no question of losing as we have the numbers. All the secular forces will vote for me and I am confident of my victory," Singh told ET.

The BJP, meanwhile, is banking on possible cross-voting from some Congress MLAs to secure the fifth seat. RLM leader Upendra Kushwaha has claimed that several Congress MLAs are in touch with the NDA.