New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) registered a clean sweep in the elections held for five Rajya Sabha seats from Bihar, with all its candidates securing victory. Reacting to the outcome, several Delhi ministers and MPs on Tuesday termed the result as expected and reflective of the alliance’s growing strength.

Speaking to reporters, Delhi Minister Ashish Sood said, “This reflects the growing acceptance and increasing strength of the Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of the Prime Minister.” He added that the results underline the public’s continued faith in the NDA’s governance and development agenda.

Delhi Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh also echoed similar sentiments, stating that the outcome was anticipated. “It was meant to be a clean sweep. The whole country is ‘Sanatani’. After this, it is Bengal’s turn,” he remarked.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj congratulated the people of Bihar, saying, “This is the result of immense faith in the development policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”

She also criticised the Congress, alleging that its style of politics is creating dissatisfaction within its own ranks. According to her, such political approaches are not in the national interest and have contributed to the party’s weakening position.

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa congratulated the party leadership and the winning candidates.

“I congratulate the national president and all elected MPs. This victory reflects strong leadership and organisational unity,” he said.

BJP spokesperson Yasir Jilani highlighted the alliance’s unity, stating, “We have won all five seats in Bihar. This reflects the NDA’s cohesion and the political acumen of its leadership.”

The NDA had fielded five candidates: Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) national president Nitish Kumar, BJP leader Nitin Nabin, Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur, Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha, and BJP candidate Shivesh Ram. All five candidates emerged victorious.

The results dealt a setback to the Opposition Mahagathbandhan, which could not secure a single seat. During voting in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, 202 MLAs from the NDA cast their votes, while 37 MLAs from the Mahagathbandhan participated in the polling.

Notably, four Opposition MLAs — Congress legislators Manoj Biswas, Surendra Kushwaha, and Manohar Prasad Singh, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal MLA Faisal Rahman — were absent during the voting process.

Bihar Congress President Rajesh Ram alleged that the missing MLAs had been “abducted” by the BJP. He claimed that despite the BJP being in power, the MLAs had been in regular contact until March 13 and were now allegedly under house arrest. The BJP has not responded to these allegations.

The counting of votes began at 5:00 P.M. Based on first-preference votes, Nitish Kumar, Nitin Nabin, Ram Nath Thakur, and Upendra Kushwaha secured their victories. Shivesh Ram won his seat in the second-preference round.

Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan’s candidate, A.D. Singh, managed to secure 38 votes. However, in the second-preference round, Shivesh Ram gained additional support, ensuring a complete sweep for the NDA.

The Bihar Legislative Assembly, which has 243 seats, conducted the election to fill five Rajya Sabha vacancies. Although six candidates were in the fray, the NDA’s strong numerical advantage — with around 202 MLAs compared to the Mahagathbandhan’s 35 — proved decisive in determining the outcome.

–IANS

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