NDA eyes Bihar MLC poll sweep as Nishant Kumar set for Council entry

The upcoming election to 10 seats of the Bihar Legislative Council is set to become politically significant for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), as the polls are expected to pave the way for Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar and Panchayati Raj Minister Deepak Prakash to enter the Upper House and continue in the state cabinet.

Both Nishant Kumar and Deepak Prakash were recently inducted into the Bihar government, but neither currently holds membership in the Bihar Assembly or the Bihar Legislative Council. Under constitutional provisions, a minister who is not a member of either House must secure election to the Assembly or the Legislative Council within six months of appointment. The upcoming Council elections are expected to fulfill that requirement for both ministers.

The Election Commission is likely to announce the election schedule in the last week of May. Even before the formal announcement, the NDA has begun preparations to win all 10 seats and prevent the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) from securing even a single berth.

Out of the 10 seats going to polls, nine will fall vacant on June 28, 2026. The tenth seat became vacant earlier after former chief minister Nitish Kumar resigned from the Legislative Council following his move to the Rajya Sabha.

Of the 10 seats, five are currently held by the Janata Dal (United), two by the Bharatiya Janata Party, two by the RJD and one by the Congress.

The five JD(U) seats are linked to Nitish Kumar, Ghulam Gaus, Bhishm Sahani, Kumud Verma and Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha. Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha later became an MLA from Jagdishpur and was inducted into the Bihar cabinet.

Among the BJP-held seats, one became vacant after Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary won the Tarapur Assembly seat in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. The tenure of senior BJP leader Sanjay Mayukh will also end on June 28.

The terms of RJD members Mohammad Farooq and Sunil Kumar Singh, along with Congress member Samir Kumar Singh, are also ending on the same date.

In the 243-member Bihar Legislative Assembly, 25 MLAs are required to elect one member to the Legislative Council. The RJD, which has 25 MLAs, is hoping to retain at least one seat with the support of its Mahagathbandhan allies.

The NDA currently has the backing of 202 MLAs, giving the alliance enough numbers to comfortably secure nine seats. NDA leaders are now working to win the 10th seat as well and complete a clean sweep in the Council polls.

Once elected to the Bihar Legislative Council, Nishant Kumar and Deepak Prakash will formally become members of the state legislature and fulfill the constitutional requirement necessary to continue as ministers in the Bihar government.

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