Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor launched a veiled attack on the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar on Friday, alleging that the "youth of Bihar are struggling" to return home for Chhath while a "bullet train is being built in Gujarat."
"This is the janmabhoomi [birthplace] of Jan Suraaj, where the party came into being 3.5 years ago… We resolved that we will end the political bonded labour of the people of Bihar, where they vote for the BJP when they fear Lalu, and vice versa… In the coming 10–15 days, people need to decide whether they want to continue with the existing arrangement or whether they want to bring about a change… A bullet train worth ₹1 lakh crore is being built in Gujarat, whereas the youth of Bihar are struggling to get a seat in the train to come home for Chhath…," Kishor told reporters here.
Earlier in the day, independent candidate Anup Kumar Srivastava from Gopalganj officially joined the Jan Suraaj Party in the presence of its founder, Prashant Kishor.
This development follows the withdrawal of Jan Suraaj's own candidate, Shashi Shekhar Sinha, from the Gopalganj assembly constituency. Following Sinha's exit, the party has extended its support to Srivastava for the upcoming polls.
The 2025 Bihar elections are set to feature a contest between the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance). The NDA includes 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 Dipankar Bhattacharya, the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and Mukesh Sahani’s Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP).
Bihar is due to go to the polls on November 6 and November 11, with votes scheduled to be counted on November 14.
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