Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sanjay Jaiswal on Wednesday took a dig at Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor, saying that all 153 candidates fielded by the latter’s party will lose their deposits in the already announced Bihar assembly elections. Speaking to ANI in Bettiah, Jaiswal pointed out that Kishor has not fielded anyone from his top leadership, as they would lose their deposits.
“Prashant Kishor considers himself a political strategist. He’s not fielding anyone from his top leadership because if they contest the elections, their deposits would have been forfeited. Prashant Kishor will make history in the elections. All 153 of his candidates will have their deposits forfeited, and this will become a historic party,” BJP leader Jaiswal said.
His remarks come after Kishor hit out at the BJP on Tuesday, alleging that three Jan Suraaj candidates had been forced to withdraw from the Bihar electoral contest. He said that while “booths used to be looted during Laluji’s tenure” and “results were looted” in the 2020 assembly polls, “candidates are being looted for the first time”. Prashant Kishor accused the BJP of looting candidates. He alleged that in the previous election, “at least 10-12 seats in which there was a close contest, the NDA declared the results in their favour”.
“They (BJP) should tell when Shashi Shekhar Sinha was part of the BJP. He joined Jan Suraaj. There are many leaders in Jan Suraaj who came from the BJP and the RJD. If he were a disciplined worker of the BJP, why did he join Jan Suraaj? What was the need for the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to sit with him when he got a ticket from Jan Suraaj and he had to file nomination papers?… Why did Union Home Minister Amit Shah meet Mutur Shah on the day he had to file nominations?… During Lalu ji’s tenure booths used to be looted, in the previous elections, results were looted, at least 10-12 seats in which there was a close contest, the NDA declared the results in their favour,” Kishor told ANI in an interview.
“For the first time, candidates are being looted…The candidates of the other parties are being told by Union Home Minister, Union Education Minister to withdraw their candidature…Satya Prakash Tiwari filed his nomination as Jan Suraaj candidate…After this meeting, the candidate withdraws their candidature…BJP is looting the candidates,” he alleged.
Kishor had said earlier that three declared candidates of Jan Suraaj “were forced to withdraw their nominations” in the last three to four days and alleged that the BJP is trying to “create an atmosphere that we’re scared”.The 2025 Bihar Elections will see a contest between the National Democratic Alliance and the Mahagathbandhan. The NDA comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha.
The Mahagathbandhan led by Rashtriya Janata Dal includes the Congress party, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) led by Deepankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP). Additionally, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj has also staked claims on all 243 seats of the state. The assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held on November 6 and 11, respectively, while the results will be declared on November 14.