Jan Suraaj Party participation in Bihar MLC elections

The Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), led by Prashant Kishor, has begun its campaign for the Bihar Legislative Council (MLC) elections by announcing candidates for several constituencies, including teachers’ and graduates’ seats across approximately 30 districts.

Internal friction emerged following the announcement of Bhushan Kumar Jha as the candidate for the Tirhut teacher constituency. Jha resigned from JSP to run as an independent, describing the behavior of party members as “objectionable” and alleging that workers pressured him to adhere to a specific narrative. He further claimed that during a review meeting led by Kishor, party workers prevented his supporters from recording proceedings and that the organization lacked “political maturity.”

In response to Jha’s departure and what the party deemed “unacceptable” comments made by him regarding teachers during a meeting in Muzaffarpur, JSP state president Manoj Bharti has officially replaced him with Shyam Nandan Yadav. Yadav is a former Indian Army member with 18 years of service, a local educational institution principal, and the state secretary for the association of teachers’ training colleges.

Other candidates fielded by the party include Anuj Singh for the Patna Graduate constituency and Vimohan Kumar for the Tirhut Graduate constituency. The JSP is contesting all eight seats in the biennial elections for the Upper House, which consist of four graduate and four teacher constituencies. The official notification for the polls is expected on September 29, with nominations expected to be filed by October 6. Voting is scheduled for October 23, with results on October 27.