Nitish Kumar heads to Rajya Sabha, historic step
In Monday’s election, the ruling NDA swept all five Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, marking a strong political victory
The chaiwallahs outside the Bihar legislative assembly had long since poured their last cups when the news finally came. After hours of political theater, whispered negotiations, and the quiet rustle of ballot papers, Nitish Kumar, Bihar’s longest-serving chief minister, had secured his ticket to New Delhi once again. Alongside him, newly appointed BJP president Nitin Nabin would also be making the journey to the Rajya Sabha, as the ruling NDA swept all five seats in the state.
For Nitish Kumar, the victory was familiar territory—a seasoned politician’s comfortable return to a house he knows well. But for Nabin, the moment carried a different weight. The new BJP president, whose political career now takes a significant leap forward, stood quietly as photographers captured the moment. Behind the flashbulbs was years of organizational work, of building relationships and earning trust within a party that demands loyalty above all else.
Across the assembly complex, the losing side grappled with disappointment. Outgoing Rajya Sabha member Amarendra Dhari Singh had fought hard, buoyed by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s confident claims of support from five AIMIM MLAs and one BSP legislator. But when the ballots were counted, the numbers simply weren’t there. Politics, as they say in Patna, is a game of addition, and this time, the sums didn’t add up for the opposition.
In Odisha, the drama unfolded differently. Five candidates vied for four seats, and when the votes were tallied, cross-voting had rewritten the expected script. At least five MLAs—three from Congress and two from BJD—had reportedly crossed party lines to support Dilip Ray, the Independent candidate backed by the ruling BJP. For Ray, a former Union minister, the victory represented a political resurrection, a return to parliamentary corridors he once walked with authority.
BJP state president Manmohan Samal, securing his own Rajya Sabha berth, received a congratulatory call from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who later took to X to celebrate. “Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes,” the Chief Minister wrote, the digital congratulations masking the intense behind-the-scenes efforts that had secured these victories. For Samal, the elevation was recognition of his leadership at the state level, a signal that the party trusted his judgment in navigating Odisha’s complex political landscape.
The losing side in Odisha included Dr. Datteswar Hota, a distinguished urologist backed by Congress and CPI-M. For Dr. Hota, the defeat meant setting aside, at least for now, the opportunity to bring a medical professional’s perspective to parliamentary health policy debates. His presence on the ballot had represented something rare—a technocrat’s foray into the rough-and-tumble of electoral politics.
In Haryana, counting dragged late into the night after both BJP and Congress filed complaints alleging violations of vote secrecy. The allegations and counter-allegations spoke to the intense competition for every vote, the recognition that in Rajya Sabha elections, a single ballot can change outcomes.
Earlier this month, 26 candidates had already secured their seats unopposed, including political heavyweights like NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar and Union minister Ramdas Athawale. For them, the journey to Parliament required no last-minute drama—just quiet negotiations that ensured no opponent would file nominations against them.
As the certificates of election were handed out across three states, newly minted Rajya Sabha members began contemplating their new roles. For some, like Nitish Kumar, it was familiar territory. For others, like Nitin Nabin and Shivesh Kumar, it represented a fresh start, a chance to make their mark on national policy.
Outside the assembly in Patna, supporters waved party flags and distributed sweets as the results became clear. A young BJP worker, his face painted in party colors, smiled broadly. “Our leader is going to Delhi,” he said simply. In that moment, the complex mathematics of cross-voting and political alliances distilled into something simpler: human pride in seeing their representative ascend.