Patna, March 16: Differences between the RJD and JDU have surfaced again, this time over the post of chairman of the state Legislative Council.

The tenure of the incumbent chairman, Awadhesh Narayan Singh of the BJP, ends in May. Singh was re-elected to the Council from the Gaya Graduate constituency today. JDU leaders admit in private that they had instructions from the top to help Singh in the Council poll held on March 9.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar has made it clear he wants Singh to continue as Council chairman. His ally, the RJD, however, wants the JDU to abide by the agreement it had with the BJP during the NDA days. At that time, the Speaker of the Assembly hailed from the JDU and the chairman of the Council was picked from the BJP.

The RJD has already staked claim to the post stressing that under the alliance dharma, its candidate should be chairman. The party's reasoning is that in spite of having more MLAs in the Assembly, it allowed the JDU to have its own Speaker in Vijay Kumar Choudhary.

Former chief minister and MLC Rabri Devi today asserted that the BJP's member cannot remain chairman. She also said that Nitish cannot decide the name of the chairman and it would be the Grand Alliance partners who will make a collective choice.

"Awadhesh Narayan Singh is not from RJD and the post of the chairman should be given to our party," Rabri said before entering into the Council today.

In the polls held on March 9, the results of which were declared today, Singh defeated the RJD's Punit Kumar Singh, son of former MP Jagdanand Singh, from the Gaya Graduate constituency.

The post of chairman became the topic of discussion today after Singh thanked Nitish, saying he could win the Council poll because of the chief minister.

As soon as the results were declared today, Singh, who was in Gaya, said: "I am thankful to chief minister Nitish Kumar, because of him I have won this election."

He further said: "I have good relations with Nitish ji and I am sure that after May 8, I will continue as Council chairman." Singh's tenure as Council chairman ends that day.

BJP MLC Mangal Pandey too said that his party was "really obliged" to Nitish for not fielding any candidate against Singh.

In the other results, the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party candidate won the Gaya Teachers' constituency; while the JDU triumphed in the Saran Graduate Constituency and the Kosi Teachers' constituency.