RJD to support JD(U) candidates in Bihar Rajya Sabha by-poll

Responding positively to former chief minister Nitish Kumar's appeal, the RJD today decided to support JD(U) in the Rajya Sabha elections in two seats.
After a series of meetings with party legislators and senior leaders, RJD President Lalu Prasad said his MLAs would vote for the two official candidates of the JD(U) in the RS polls tomorrow.
"RJD will support the two candidates of the JD(U) in the RS polls. Our party has taken the decision in the interest of Bihar to establish socialist and secular forces here in future and to make unsuccessful the BJP conspiracy to destabilise the government here," Prasad told media persons.

The RJD decision came as a welcome relief for Nitish Kumar's party whose candidates, former diplomat Pawan Kumar Varma and veteran leader Ghulam Rasool Baliyawi were facing stiff challenge from two candidates, industrialist Sabir Ali and real estate baron Anil Kumar Sharma, put up by party dissidents.
The support of 21 RJD MLAs would see the official candidates of JD(U) sail through in the RS polls. So far they were falling short of a majority.
The Assembly had 243-seats out of which 11 were vacant, bringing down the effective strength to 232.

The JD(U) had 117 MLAs including the Speaker, BJP 84, RJD 21, Congress four, CPI one and five Independents.

In this scenario, the RS candidates needed 117 votes to secure a win.
JD(U) sources have put the strength of dissident MLAs at around 20.