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Voting for two by-elections to the Bihar Legislative Council will be held on May 12, with the BJP and JD(U) announcing their candidates for the vacant seats.

The BJP has nominated Surya Kumar Sharma, also known as Arvind Sharma, for the seat vacated by Mangal Pandey.

The JD(U) has fielded Kanhaiya Prasad for the Bhojpur-Buxar local body seat.

Why The Two Seats Fell Vacant

The seat held by Mangal Pandey fell vacant after he was elected from the Siwan Assembly constituency in 2025 and resigned from the Legislative Council in accordance with the rules.

The Bhojpur-Buxar local body seat became vacant after Radhacharan Shah resigned following his election as MLA from the Sandesh Assembly seat.

Nitish Kumar’s Vacant MLC Seat Yet To Go To Polls

Questions remain over when the by-election will be held for former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Legislative Council seat.

Nitish Kumar resigned from the Bihar Legislative Council on March 30. His term was scheduled to run until 2030, meaning a by-election will also be required for his vacant seat.

By-Election Likely Alongside June Council Polls

Nine other Bihar Legislative Council seats are due to fall vacant on June 28, 2026.

It is believed that Nitish Kumar’s vacant seat may go to by-poll alongside elections for these nine seats.

According to reports, only around a month has passed since Nitish Kumar’s resignation, and experts note that the process for conducting elections to a vacant seat can take place within six months.

Nine Seats Falling Vacant In June

Among the nine Legislative Council seats becoming vacant on June 28 are those held by Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary and JD(U) MLA Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha.

As their terms end on June 28, elections will be conducted for these nine seats in June, in addition to the by-election for one vacant seat.

How Voting Will Take Place For 10 Seats

According to political experts, 23 MLAs will be involved in contesting the nine regular seats, while the by-election for the single vacant seat will be conducted separately.

The by-election requires 122 votes, a number the NDA currently holds.

Based on the present strength of MLAs, seven of the nine seats are expected to go to the NDA, while one seat is likely to witness a contest.

Seat-Sharing Buzz Within NDA

Attention is now on how the NDA will distribute the available Legislative Council seats among its allies.

There is speculation that Jitan Ram Manjhi is seeking a seat and has reportedly received assurances.

Upendra Kushwaha’s son, Deepak Prakash, who became a minister without being a member of either House, is also said to have secured a seat.

LJP leader Ram Vilas has likewise reportedly secured a seat.

The seat for which the by-election is due is expected to remain with the JD(U).