Former JD-U President Sharad Yadav, noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani and RJD chief Lalu Prasad's daughter Misa Bharti are among the five candidates set to make it unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gopal Narain Singh who filed his nomination on Tuesday -- the last day for filing of papers -- said he was confident of making it to the upper house along with four ruling Grand Alliance candidates since only they were in the fray for the five Rajya Sabha vacancies from Bihar. The elections will be held in June.
"I am sure to win as there will be no vote and we will be elected unopposed," Singh said.
Officials here said that four candidates of the Grand Alliance comprising the Janata Dal-United, Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress had filed their nominations on Monday.
JD-U leader Sharad Yadav is a sitting Rajya Sabha member from Bihar.
Last week, the JD-U re-nominated Sharad Yadav to the upper house apart from announcing the name of R.C. Singh, considered close to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Lalu nominated daughter Misa Bharti and senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani as his party candidates.
Jethmalani on Sunday joined the RJD during his visit to Lalu's residence here.
With 80 legislators in the Bihar assembly, two RJD nominees will get through easily. The JD-U with 71 lawmakers will see its two candidates make it to the Rajya Sabha, while the BJP with 53 MLAs will send one candidate to the upper house.
The term of five Rajya Sabha members from Bihar -- Sharad Yadav, K.C. Tyagi, Pavan Kumar Varma, Gulam Rasool Balyawi and Ramchandra Prasad Singh -- will expire in July.
--IANS
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