Two newly-elected Bihar Independent MLCs now support BJP

File photo shows Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary at an event in Patna. | Photo Credit: ANI Days after winning the State legislative council elections from Saran Teachers and Tirhut Graduate constituencies as Independent candidates, the two newly-elected MLCs Rahul Raj and Banshidhar Brajwasi extended their support to the ruling BJP and attended party’s State legislature meeting on Saturday (October 31, 2026).Both the Independent candidates, significantly, had defeated the ruling alliance partner Janata Dal-United candidates from their respective constituencies.Banshidhar Brajwasi had defeated the JD(U) candidate Abhishek Jha from Tirhut Graduate seat by a margin of over 9,000 votes while, Rahu Raj had defeated JD(U) candidate Anand Pushkar from Saran Teachers seat by 1,800 votes constituency. Mr. Jha is said to be close to senior JD(U) leaders and has been party spokesperson too.Among the two Independent MLCs who extended support to the BJP, Rahul Raj, however, has been a former BJP worker but, denied the MLC candidature this time as the seat had gone to JD(U) kitty under ruling coalition dharma, he fought the election from Saran Teachers constituency as an Independent candidate against ally JD-U’s Anand Pushkar and won the poll.Elections of eight legislative council constituencies was held on October 23, 2026 for which results were announced on October 27-28-29, 2026. Out of total eight seats, ruling BJP had won two seats of Tirhut Teachers constituency and Kosi Graduate seats, ruling ally JD(U) won one seat of Patna Graduate, Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal won two seats of Patna Teachers and Darbhanga Graduate constituencies while, two seats had gone to Independent candidates Rahul Raj and Banshidhar Brajwasi from Saran Teachers and Tirhut Graduate while, one seat of Drabhanga Teachers had gone to Opposition Jan Suraaj Party candidate Suresh Prasad Rai who had defeated the veteran Congress party leader and former party MLC from the seat Madan Mohan Jha. Congress Party had drawn a blank in the council election on eight seats in BiharOf the total eight constituencies, the ruling NDA alliance partners BJP and JD-U had contested on four seats each. The term of MLCs on whose seats polls were held, is to end on November 16.In a close contest, the result of Drabhanga Graduate seat, though, had come late on October 29 from where RJD candidate Anil Jha was finally declared winner defeating BJP candidate Sarvesh Kumar by over 4,000 votes.The Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi formally welcomed the two Independent MLCs in the party fold in presence of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary at a meeting in which party Bihar in-charge and national general secretary Harish Dwivedi and party national secretaries Roshan Gupta and Sangeeta Yadav were also present.“Support of two Independent MLCs to the ruling BJP has significant political meaning in Bihar as they had defeated the official NDA ruling alliance partner JD(U) candidates from their respective seats”, political analyst of the state and former professor of Patna University Nawal Kishore Choudhary said.The JD(U) leaders, meanwhile, preferred to remain mum over making any comment on the issue of two Independent MLCs extending their support to BJP. “Let the top party leadership speak first on the issue…I do not have anything to say”, has been their common refrain.The opposition RJD, though, has taken a jibe over the issue alleging, “it’s all a money game by the BJP to lure the Independent candidates into the party fold”. Published - November 01, 2026 11:04 am IST