Patna: Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Tuesday alleged that three candidates from his Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) in the Bihar assembly elections were forced to withdraw their nominations under “pressure” from the BJP.
Speaking at a press conference, Kishor accused the ruling NDA of attempting to intimidate opposition candidates. “Democracy is being murdered. There has been no such precedent in the country,” he said, urging the Election Commission to ensure the safety and security of candidates.
According to Kishor, the three withdrawn candidates were contesting from the Danapur, Brahampur, and Gopalganj constituencies. He claimed that the BJP was trying to replicate the “Surat model,” where a candidate was elected unopposed after all rivals were coerced to withdraw. Kishor added, “The BJP does not realise that voters punished it across the country for such tactics, and it won just 240 seats, though it had claimed it would secure over 400 in last year’s Lok Sabha elections.”
The Jan Suraaj Party had initially fielded candidates for all 243 Bihar assembly seats. Following the withdrawal of the three candidates, the party will now contest on 240 seats, as the last date for filing nominations has already passed.
