PATNA: Continuing with his strategy of promoting his family members in politics, RJD chief Lalu Prasad is all set to send his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and his eldest daughter Misa Bharati to Rajya Sabha in the biennial election for the Upper House next year.

RJD sources confirmed that Rabri and Misa will be the likely candidates from the state. The RJD, which won 80 seats in the recent Bihar assembly elections, can easily get both of them elected with the help of just two more votes as a candidate needs 41 votes to win the election.

Five RS seats will fall vacant after five JD(U) MPs retire in July 2016. “Lalu keeps saying that he will work at national level while Nitish will work in Bihar. Nomination of Rabri and Misa will be the first step in that direction. Lalu will get an address in the national capital,” said an RJD source, adding that being a three-time former CM, Rabri will be entitled to a big house as an MP. At present, Lalu stays either at the official residence or farmhouse of RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta whenever he is in Delhi. As a temporary arrangement, Lalu has also tied up with an MP from south India and sometimes stays at his bungalow. However, it is much smaller than the bungalow Lalu stayed in when he was the Railway Minister.

Misa will get a foothold in politics with her entry in the Upper House. Her brothers Tejashwi and Tej Pratap already hold important positions in the Nitish Kumar cabinet in Bihar.

“Lalu wants his eldest daughter to take more interest in organisational and national politics. That was the reason why he had fielded her from Patliputra in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. But his plan could not yield desired results as she lost. Since RJD has 80 MLAs in the assembly and it won’t be very difficult for Lalu to arrange two more votes, the plan of sending Misa to Upper House will be successful and, in the long run, she will be given senior position in the party,” said a source. “The final decision on candidates will be taken by the party chief at an appropriate time,” said RJD spokesman Chitranjan Gagan.

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