Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj party fails to impress in Bihar bypolls, 3 out of 4 candidates lose deposit
Prashant Kishor however drew succour from the fact that his fledgling Jan Suraaj had ‘secured 10% of votes’ polled in the four seats.
The newly launched Jan Suraaj party failed to make an impact in the bypolls for four assembly segments in Bihar. Candidates of the Prashant Kishor-led group lost deposits in all but one seat as votes were counted on Saturday. Meanwhile, the ruling NDA swept the bypolls— retaining Imamganj and wresting Tarari, Ramgarh and Belaganj from the INDIA bloc.
Party chief Prashant Kishor, however, brushed off concerns about the poll outcome and highlighted the fact that his fledgling party won “10%” of the total votes polled in the four seats. He also reiterated plans for the Jan Suraaj to contest “all 243 seats” solo during the Assembly elections in 2025.
“We have secured 10% votes..... in seats where Jan Suraaj had no presence since these areas were yet to be covered by my padyatra. Also, please note that we got our poll symbol after filing of nomination papers was over. We were initially written off, but by garnering about 10 per cent votes in a state known to vote along predictable caste lines, we have proved a point,” he said.
Kishor also rubbished claims that his party had played a role in the losses incurred by the RJD. He insisted that the Jan Suraaj was only eyeing a fight against the NDA and dismissed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as being ‘no factor’ in the outcome. The former JD(U) leader dubbed the party supremo a “spent force” and claimed that candidate Manorama Devi had won on her own steam.
“RJD is a 30-year-old party. The son of its state president finished third. Can Jan Suraaj be faulted for that? In Belaganj, all Muslim votes went to the JD (U) candidate. In Imamganj, the Jan Suraaj cut into NDA votes. Else, the victory margin of (Union minister) Jitan Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha would have been bigger,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Business NewsElectionsAssembly ElectionsPrashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj party fails to impress in Bihar bypolls, 3 out of 4 candidates lose deposit
First Published:23 Nov 2024, 07:22 PM IST
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