As campaigning for the Bihar Assembly Election 2025 heats up, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of replicating the “Surat incident” seen during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In a press conference held in Patna, Kishor alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and other BJP leaders pressured Jan Suraaj candidates not to contest from three key constituencies Danapur, Brahmpur, and Gopalganj.
BJP Accused of “Intimidation and Pressure”
According to Kishor, BJP leaders threatened or coerced Jan Suraaj candidates into withdrawing their nominations, similar to what allegedly happened in Gujarat’s Surat during the general election. He displayed photos of Jan Suraaj candidates meeting BJP leaders as “proof” of political influence and pressure.
He claimed that Danapur candidate Akhilesh Kumar alias Mutur Saw was not kidnapped, as reported earlier, but instead stopped from filing his nomination by BJP leaders including Amit Shah. For Brahmpur, Kishor alleged that Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan pressured candidate Dr. Satyaprakash Tiwari who later withdrew. In Gopalganj, local BJP leaders and an MLC allegedly convinced candidate Dr. Shashi Shekhar Sinha to step aside.
“An Attack on Democracy,” Says PK
Kishor condemned these events as a direct assault on democracy, comparing them to the “Surat incident” of 2024. He added that BJP’s top leadership is using “undemocratic means” to stop political opponents from contesting. He also claimed that in Valmikinagar, JD(U) leaders similarly pressured Jan Suraaj candidate Drig Narayan Prasad to withdraw.
What Is The ‘Surat Incident’?
During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was declared the winner from Surat even before polling began. Congress candidate Nilesh Kumbhani’s nomination was canceled, while independent candidates withdrew, leaving Dalal elected unopposed a first in Surat’s 70-year history. A similar episode unfolded in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, when Congress candidate Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew and joined the BJP, leading to an uncontested BJP victory. Kishor cited these examples to highlight “the same playbook” being used in Bihar.
Prashant Kishor stated that these pressures will not stop the Jan Suraaj movement, adding that such tactics only show BJP’s fear of rising public support for the party. He reaffirmed his commitment to continue raising people’s issues and opposing what he called BJP’s “anti-democratic” actions in Bihar.