Voting for five Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar is currently underway on Monday, March 16, 2026. Amidst the polling process, reports have emerged regarding some MLAs from the Grand Alliance being missing or unreachable from the Assembly premises. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has officially reacted to these reports, calling them rumors while expressing confidence in the unity of his alliance. The final results for these closely contested seats are expected to be announced by the end of the day.
Which MLAs are reportedly missing during the polling?
Reports suggest that several legislators from the opposition are not currently reachable at the Assembly to cast their votes. This includes Congress MLAs Manoj Bishwas from Forbesganj and Surendra Prasad from Valmikinagar. There are also mentions of Manohar Prasad Singh and Abidur Rahman being absent. Additionally, RJD MLA Faisal Rahman from Dhaka is reportedly missing. These developments have sparked concerns about potential cross-voting, as each candidate needs approximately 41 first preference votes to secure a win in the 243-member house.
Key updates on the Bihar Rajya Sabha election and numbers
- Tejashwi Yadav has claimed that AIMIM with 6 seats and BSP with 1 seat are supporting the RJD candidates.
- The RJD leader stated that his party has 41 votes and the final picture will be clear once the counting starts at 3 PM.
- The NDA is confident of winning four seats and is attempting to secure a fifth seat for their candidate Shivesh Kumar.
- NDA leaders have dismissed any possibility of cross-voting from their side, claiming full support from their legislators.
- Both the Grand Alliance and NDA are currently engaged in intense political maneuvering to ensure their members remain unified.
