Patna: The political temperature in Bihar surged on Tuesday as Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor accused the BJP’s highest echelons of engaging in “horse-trading” to systematically dismantle his party’s challenge in the state assembly elections.
In a fiery press conference, Kishor leveled startling allegations against Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, claiming they were personally involved in coercing, pressurizing, and ultimately ensuring the withdrawal of at least three Jan Suraaj candidates.
The Danapur Disappearance
Kishor highlighted the case of Akhilesh Kumar, the Jan Suraaj candidate for Danapur. According to the party founder, Kumar, a local businessman known as Mutur Shah, “disappeared minutes before filing nominations” for the seat.
The dramatic twist came just a few hours later, when Kumar was allegedly photographed with Amit Shah at a Patna hotel.
“I want to ask what urgency Shah had to meet an announced candidate of another party, a simple businessman from Danapur,” Kishor questioned reporters, calling the alleged meeting a “clear-cut violation of the model code of conduct” and a blatant act of political coercion.
Ministers Target Candidates Directly
The allegations of direct interference extended to other constituencies, with Kishor claiming top Union Ministers were deployed to pressure candidates into retreating:
- Brahmpur (Buxar): Kishor stated that Dr. Satyaprakash Tiwari, a respected Patna-based hospital owner and Jan Suraaj candidate, was allegedly visited at his home by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Kishor claimed Pradhan’s purpose was to pressurize Dr. Tiwari into withdrawing his nomination to “protect a Bahubali Neta” (strongman leader) from the LJP (Ram Vilas)—the incumbent candidate, Hulas Pandey. Kishor blasted this as “very dirty politics.”
- Gopalganj Sadar: The withdrawal of 76-year-old physician Dr. Shashi Shekhar Sinha was also framed as a result of intimidation. Kishor revealed that despite Dr. Sinha assuring party leadership, including Jan Suraaj President Uday Singh and Kishor himself, on Monday morning that he would stay strong despite “a lot of pressure,” he withdrew his candidature just two hours later and switched off his phone. Kishor claimed senior BJP leaders had visited Dr. Sinha’s home on Sunday night and even pressured the candidate’s children living abroad. Dr. Sinha was later seen in a social media photograph with the BJP candidate from the same constituency.
A Contest of Character
Kishor used the incidents to question the integrity of the BJP, claiming these actions “exposed” the party’s “low-level” character. He suggested the tactics were born out of desperation.
Despite the setbacks in Danapur, Brahmpur, and Gopalganj, Kishor praised his Kumhrar candidate, noted mathematician Dr. K C Sinha, for continuing to campaign despite facing similar pressure to withdraw.
The accusation of “horse-trading” against Union Ministers marks a significant escalation in Bihar’s election rhetoric, forcing the BJP to directly address the charge that it is using powerful resources to stifle political competition on the ground.
