Bihar Assembly bypolls: Jan Suraaj Party changes candidates on two seats

Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party announces candidate changes for Bihar bypolls, promising surprising performance on November 23.

Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party on Wednesday (October 23, 2024) announced a change of candidates on two seats - Tarari and Belaganj - out of total four seats going for bypolls in Bihar on November 13 and claimed that people would be surprised with performance of his party on November 23, when election results will be announced.

On the Tarari seat in Bhojpur district, Jan Suraaj Party amid much fanfare had earlier announced the name of Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Shri Krishna Singh as a party candidate. It was later found that Mr. Singh’s name was not in the electoral roll of the State given his Noida residency post retirement.

The party had applied the requisite form 8A to include Mr. Singh’s name on the electoral roll of the district but since the Model Code of Conduct for the bypoll was in effect, his name could not be registered. The party, after consulting legal experts, announced the name of social activist of Tarari area, Kiran Singh as candidate instead of Mr. Shri Krishna. “Kiran Singh will be contesting from the Tarari seat in the upcoming byelection,” Mr. Kishor announced at a press meet at Ara, district headquarter of Bhojpur on October 23.

Similarly, the party also announced the name of Mohammed Amjad in place of academician Khilafat Hussain as party’s candidate for Belaganj seat. Mr. Amjad is a former panchayat head and had previously contested Assembly elections in 2005 and 2010.

“Earlier, we wanted Mr. Amjad to contest elections from Belaganj but he had expressed his inability for certain reasons,” Mr. Kishor told media persons at Ara. “I’ll not let both Mr. Shri Krishna Singh and Mr. Hussain go anywhere…they have to be here in the party itself to help and support us in building the party,” Mr. Kishor added.

Former political strategist-cum-politician Mr. Kishor also recalled his professional associations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and former CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and urged them not to be “ungrateful” for his fruitful association with them. “Those claiming that I do not have political acumen are simply guilty of ungratefulness,” Mr. Kishor said while reading a hymn from the Bhagavad Gita.

“The electoral system [of the country] is pro-incumbent in which those who are new to politics have a tough time to deal with while, it is smooth for established parties. On October 28, Jan Suraaj Party will get its symbol. In the next 12 to 13 days we’ll show how our party symbol becomes popular in every household among voters in these four constituencies going for byelection, which the major parties could not have done in years,” Mr. Kishor said while claiming that Jan Suraaj Party has kept “it’s promise of providing political alternative to Bihar by fielding common men and women, only for their social commitment, good character and integrity”.