Patna: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a setback in Bihar’s capital after Patna Mayor Sita Sahu’s son, Shishir Kumar, filed his nomination as an independent candidate from the Patna Sahib Assembly constituency, rebelling against the party’s decision to deny him a ticket. His move has stirred political circles in the state ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly election.
For several days, Shishir Kumar had been openly expressing dissent against the party, criticising administrative officials and taking sharp positions against certain state ministers. Despite his vocal criticism, he had not officially severed ties with the BJP until now.
A long-time BJP loyalist, Kumar was reportedly confident that he would be fielded from the Patna Sahib seat — traditionally a stronghold of the party and currently represented by senior leader Nand Kishore Yadav, with whom he shares close ties. However, when the BJP named Ratnesh Kushwaha, an old party worker, as its candidate instead, Kumar decided to go solo.
On Thursday, he filed his nomination papers amid chants of “Patna Sahib ka beta, Shishir Kumar hi chahiye” (Patna Sahib’s own son, Shishir Kumar is needed), following a massive Jan Aashirwad Yatra through the constituency.
Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination, Shishir Kumar said,
“Patna Sahib no longer wants stagnation, it wants development. This election is not about politics but about people’s aspirations. We will build a new Patna Sahib with service, dedication, and dignity.”
