The Rajya Sabha, also known as the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. As of 2023, it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using single transferable votes through open ballots, while the president can appoint 12 members for their contributions to art, literature, science, and social service. The total allowed capacity is 250 according to article 80 of the Indian Constitution. The current potential seating capacity of the Rajya Sabha is 245, after the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Act. The maximum seats of 250 members can be filled up at the discretion and requirements of the house of Rajya Sabha.
Janata Dal (United) ("People's Party (United)"), abbreviated as JD(U), is a social-democratic and secularist Indian political party, rooted mainly in eastern and north-eastern India, whose stated goals are promoting social justice and lifting up marginalised people. JD(U) is recognised as a state party in the states of Bihar, where it heads the government, Manipur, where it is part of the government coalition in the legislative assembly, and Arunachal Pradesh. JD(U), as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, won 12 seats in the 2024 Indian general election, making it the seventh largest party in the Lok Sabha.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal is an Indian political party, mainly based in the state of Bihar. The party was founded in 1997 by Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Ram Vilas Paswan was an Indian politician from Bihar and the Cabinet Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in the first and second Modi ministries. Paswan was also the president of the Lok Janshakti Party, nine-times Lok Sabha member and two-time Rajya Sabha MP. He started his political career as member of Samyukta Socialist Party and was elected to the Bihar Legislative Assembly in 1969. Later, Paswan joined Lok Dal upon its formation in 1974, and became its general secretary. He opposed the emergency, and was arrested during this period. He first entered the Lok Sabha in 1977, as a Janata Party member from Hajipur constituency, and was elected again in 1980, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2014.
Buta Singh was an Indian politician and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress. He was the Union Home Minister of India, Governor of Bihar and was chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes from 2007 to 2010.
Although India is a parliamentary democracy, the country's politics has become dynastic or with high level of nepotism, possibly due to the absence of party organizations, independent civil-society associations which mobilize support for a party, or centralized financing of elections. The dynastic phenomenon is present at the national, state, regional, and district level. The Nehru–Gandhi family has produced three Indian prime ministers, and family members have largely led the Congress party since 1978. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also has several dynastic leaders. In addition to the major national parties, other national and regional parties such as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal Secular, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Kerala Congress, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Indian Union Muslim League, AIMIM, and the Nationalist Congress Party are all dominated by families, mostly those of the party founders.
Basawon Singh or Basawan Singh, also known as Basawon Sinha, was an Indian independence activist and a campaigner for the rights of the underprivileged, and industrial and agricultural workers.
Ramkrishna Suryabhan Gavai, popularly known as Dadasaheb Gavai, was an Indian politician, social activist, senior leader of the Ambedkarite movement, and founder of the Republican Party of India (Gavai). He was the President of Ambedkar's ideological party Republican Party of India, through this party, he did many works in political and social fields. Gavai also worked with Babasaheb Ambedkar, a polymath. He was the Governor of the three states of Bihar, Sikkim and Kerala, as well as he has served in both houses of the Indian Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Gavai was a 30-year member (MLC) of the Maharashtra Legislative Council during which he served on the posts of the chairman, the deputy chairman, and the Opposition leader of the council.
Yogendra Shukla was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, notable for his contributions in the state of Bihar. He was incarcerated in the Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Pani, and was a founding member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). Shukla, in collaboration with Basawon Singh (Sinha), was also instrumental in establishing the Congress Socialist Party in Bihar.
Satyendra Narayan Sinha was an Indian politician and statesman, participant in the Indian independence movement, a leading light of Jaya Prakash Narayan's ‘complete revolution’ movement during the Emergency and a former Chief Minister of Bihar. Affectionately called Chhote Saheb, he was also a seven-time Member of Parliament from the Aurangabad constituency, a three-term Member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, and a Member of the Bihar Legislative Council once. Regarded to be one of India's most influential regional people of the time, his reputation was synonymous with being a strict disciplinarian and tough taskmaster.
Shyam Nandan Mishra was an Indian independence activist and politician from Bihar. He was Member of Parliament for many years in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Initially a member of the Indian National Congress, he was later Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha as a Congress (O) leader, and then a Janata Party MP and Minister for External Affairs in Charan Singh's government. He was imprisoned both during the Quit India Movement and the Emergency.
B.K. Hariprasad is a politician from the Indian National Congress party. He is a former Member of Parliament who represented Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. He was the candidate of the United Opposition for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and lost to Shri Harivansh Narayan Singh of NDA.
Elections in the state of Bihar, India are conducted in accordance with the Constitution of India. The Assembly of Bihar creates laws regarding the conduct of local body elections unilaterally while any changes by the state legislature to the conduct of state level elections need to be approved by the Parliament of India.
Dola Sen is an Indian politician and trade unionist. From 2020 she is now the central president of the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress (INTTUC).
Kartikeya Sharma is an Indian politician, entrepreneur, and media baron, currently serving as a Member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament from Haryana. He won by defeating the Congress leader Ajay Maken in a highly contested election on 10 June 2022. Kartikeya is the founder of ITV Media Network, which operates multiple news channels, including those in National, English, Hindi, and 7 regional languages, along with print newspapers such as the Sunday Guardian, Daily Guardian, and Aaj Samaj.
Amarendra Dhari Singh is an Indian politician and entrepreneur. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha the upper house of Indian Parliament from Bihar as a member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal. He has a business in the real estate and chemical sector. He supports underprivileged in education.
Vivek Thakur is an Indian politician. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha the upper house of Indian Parliament from Bihar as a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was elected as a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Nawada, Bihar in 2024 Indian General Election.
Rajya Sabha elections were held throughout 2022, to elect the retiring members of the Rajya Sabha, the Indian Parliament's upper house.
