Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishore announced the party’s official backing for independent candidate Anoop Srivastava. The announcement, made at a press conference in Gopalganj, came as Srivastava, a long-serving district-level BJP leader, simultaneously declared his decision to join the Jan Suraaj fold.
Srivastava, who is now the de facto JSP candidate, will contest on his current independent election symbol.
“Jan Suraaj is declaring Anoop Srivastava as its official candidate,” Kishore stated. “The symbol is different, but Jan Suraaj will fully support him. We hope that the people of Gopalganj and everyone associated with the BJP who feels betrayed will ensure that Anupji wins and the BJP loses.”
‘Candidates are Being Robbed’
Kishore used the event to launch a blistering attack on the major political parties, particularly the BJP, accusing them of strong-arm tactics.
“We once witnessed booth-robbers in Bihar. Today, we are witnessing candidates being robbed,” Kishore claimed. “Senior leaders, disregarding all morality, are intimidating candidates from other parties. In such a situation, we had no other option.”
The decision to back Srivastava comes as a direct response to the controversial withdrawal of JSP’s original candidate for the seat, Dr. Shashi Shekhar Sinha. Kishore alleged that Dr. Sinha was pressured to withdraw his nomination and that his stated reason of “health reasons” was “unbelievable.”
“Because of him, the rights of a Jan Suraaj worker were violated,” Kishore said, stating the support for Srivastava was a necessary step to “correct this mistake” and offer the public a viable alternative.
A Challenge to Grassroots Injustice
Anoop Srivastava detailed his decades-long dedication to the BJP, stating he had been a worker since 1973. He lamented that despite his strong candidacy this time, a ticket was given to someone else due to what he alleged was “financial influence.”
“I have challenged the party to make public its survey, which shows that my candidacy for Gopalganj is weak,” Srivastava said. “In protest against the injustice being meted out to grassroots workers within the party, I have filed my nomination as an independent candidate and announced my resignation from all positions, including primary membership.”
Kishore affirmed that the dual injustice—to Dr. Sinha via pressure and to Srivastava via betrayal—forced the party’s hand. He stressed that this move is unique to Gopalganj’s “special circumstances” and is not a strategy the party plans to replicate elsewhere.
“If Anup ji wins, the BJP will not dare to commit such a mistake against a dedicated party worker not only in Gopalganj but elsewhere as well,” Kishore concluded, positioning the Gopalganj contest as a battle for justice for party loyalists.
