Elections are to be held for five Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar. Each candidate needs 41 votes to win. Given the strength of 202 MLAs in the 243-member Assembly, while it will be easy for the NDA to win four seats, it will need the support of only three additional MLAs for the fifth seat.

Two out of five Rajya Sabha seats are fixed for Nitish Kumar’s party JDU. Seats are also fixed for BJP. BJP can stake claim on the fifth seat from one of its allies. In such a situation, a party like BJP will have to depend on AIMIM. In such a situation, the question is whether Owaisi’s party will be ready for this?

The problem is stuck on the fifth seat itself.

On the other hand, RJD led grand alliance has 35 MLAs. To send at least one representative to the Rajya Sabha, it will need the support of six MLAs. This is where the five MLAs of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and the lone MLA of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) can prove to be the key to the fifth seat for both the NDA and the RJD-led alliance.

Of the total seats of the Grand Alliance in Bihar Assembly, RJD has 25 members, Congress has six, CPI (ML) (L) has two and CPM and Indian Inclusive Party (IIP) have one member each.

What is the demand of AIMIM?

On the Rajya Sabha elections, Bihar AIMIM President Akhtarul Iman says, “If the people of the Grand Alliance work wisely, they can win (a Rajya Sabha seat). We have said that this time give a chance to AIMIM because we do not have any representation in the Upper House yet. The ideology you have is our ideology too… I am seeking support.”

RJD MLA said- Hina Shahab should get a chance

To woo AIMIM, RJD MLA Bhai Virendra has said that it is his wish that Shahabuddin’s wife Hina Shahab be given a chance from RJD. The logic behind this thinking of brother Virendra is that AIMIM will not have any objection to fielding a Muslim candidate and the MLAs will support it.

On the other hand, when journalists talked to Shahabuddin’s wife Hina Shahab and asked her this question, do you want to be sent to Rajya Sabha? On this he has said that this is not an issue. However, he definitely said that we are with the party and we will continue to work to further strengthen the party.

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All political parties have started preparations for the five Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant in Bihar. While NDA is getting four seats, the opposition is trying hard to get one seat. The formula for this has started being set. RJD MLA Bhai Virendra has given a big statement regarding this and also claimed victory.

Brother Virendra gave his reaction on this to journalists on Monday (February 23, 2026). Regarding the Rajya Sabha elections, he said, “The formula will be set… Our personal opinion is that any Akaliyat (minority) should be given a seat. Especially if Hina Shahab is given the seat, then we will take away the seat.”

‘When election time comes, the formula…’

On this question, AIMIM is saying that we will give our candidate. On this, brother Virendra said that everyone says this, but when the time of elections comes, a formula has to be set. So we do not think that AIMIM will oppose if we field the candidate we want. If she (Hina Shahab) is fielded, she will take the seat. It is clear from the statement of brother Virendra that he has set a formula for support from AIMIM.

However, AIMIM’s Bihar state president and MLA Akhtarul Iman has said that we will field our candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections. He has sought the cooperation of opposition parties for this. He says that if communal forces are to be stopped then the opposition should support them.

Who is Hina Shahab? (Who is Hena Shahab?)

Hina Saheb is the wife of former MP Shahabuddin. At present Osama Shahab, son of late leader Shahabuddin, is an MLA from RJD. For the first time, RJD gave ticket in the 2025 assembly elections and they won. If we talk about Hina Shahab, she has not even gone to Rajya Sabha. Contested Lok Sabha elections since 2009 on RJD ticket but never won. Independents contested in 2024 but still lost. Let us tell you that Shahabuddin never lost an election. He became an independent MLA for the first time while in jail.

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