BJP, with 24 members, emerges largest party in Bihar council, breaking 17-year-old JD(U) hegemony – Times of India
PATNA: With the oath of four newly elected members on Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the largest party in Bihar Legislative Council, breaking 17-year-long hegemony of the ruling JD(U) in the state’s Upper House.
Some senior politicians said JD(U) has been holding the flag of being the largest party in the Council since 2006.
But with the oath of four members, including one fresh member from the BJP (Jeevan Kumar), the total number of the saffron party members in the Council increased to 24, while the number of JD(U) remained at 23.
The four members — namely Awadhesh Narain Singh (Gaya graduates’ constituency), Jeevan Kumar (Gaya teachers’), Virendra Narayan Yadav (Saran Graduates’) and Sanjeeva Kumar Singh (Kosi teachers’ constituency) — were administered oath of membership by the council chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur in the presence of CM Nitish Kumar, deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and many other prominent leaders during a function organized at the council’s annexe building here.
Of the four new members, three — Awadhesh, Virendra and Sanjeeva — retained their traditional seats, while BJP’s Jeevan Kumar, a fresh candidate, won the election from Gaya teachers’ constituency defeating the outgoing JD(U) member Sanjeev Shyam Singh in the biennial elections held on March 31 this year.
Thus, the number of the BJP members increased by one.
Had Sanjeev Shyam Singh retained his Gaya teachers’ seat, the JD(U) would have continued to hold the flag of being the largest party in the Upper House, a senior council official told TOI on Wednesday.
With the oath-taking of four new members, the number of members of different parties in the 75-member council is as follow: BJP (24), JDU (23), RJD (14), Congress (04), CPI (01), HAMS (01), RLJP (01), Independents (06) and vacant (01).
The one seat fell vacant after the resignation by the former JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwaha.
Old-timers say, prior to 2006, Lalu Prasad-led RJD used to be the largest party in the council.
Some senior politicians said JD(U) has been holding the flag of being the largest party in the Council since 2006.
But with the oath of four members, including one fresh member from the BJP (Jeevan Kumar), the total number of the saffron party members in the Council increased to 24, while the number of JD(U) remained at 23.
The four members — namely Awadhesh Narain Singh (Gaya graduates’ constituency), Jeevan Kumar (Gaya teachers’), Virendra Narayan Yadav (Saran Graduates’) and Sanjeeva Kumar Singh (Kosi teachers’ constituency) — were administered oath of membership by the council chairman Devesh Chandra Thakur in the presence of CM Nitish Kumar, deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and many other prominent leaders during a function organized at the council’s annexe building here.
Of the four new members, three — Awadhesh, Virendra and Sanjeeva — retained their traditional seats, while BJP’s Jeevan Kumar, a fresh candidate, won the election from Gaya teachers’ constituency defeating the outgoing JD(U) member Sanjeev Shyam Singh in the biennial elections held on March 31 this year.
Thus, the number of the BJP members increased by one.
Had Sanjeev Shyam Singh retained his Gaya teachers’ seat, the JD(U) would have continued to hold the flag of being the largest party in the Upper House, a senior council official told TOI on Wednesday.
With the oath-taking of four new members, the number of members of different parties in the 75-member council is as follow: BJP (24), JDU (23), RJD (14), Congress (04), CPI (01), HAMS (01), RLJP (01), Independents (06) and vacant (01).
The one seat fell vacant after the resignation by the former JD(U) leader Upendra Kushwaha.
Old-timers say, prior to 2006, Lalu Prasad-led RJD used to be the largest party in the council.
