Gaya: A meeting called by Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraj Party in Gaya on Friday night descended into chaos as party workers clashed over the selection of a candidate for the upcoming Bihar Assembly by-election. The uproar occurred when Kishore announced the decision to field a Muslim candidate from the Belagnj Assembly constituency, sparking tensions between rival factions.
The meeting, which was initially called to finalize the party’s candidate for the by-election, quickly spiraled out of control when supporters of two competing Muslim candidates began raising slogans in favor of their respective leaders. Despite Kishore’s attempts to calm the crowd, tensions flared, and chaos ensued, with attendees throwing chairs and vandalizing the venue.
During the press conference, Kishore urged the workers to remain calm, repeatedly saying, “Don’t do this, we do not work under pressure. I do not need money and your numbers.” However, his appeals went unheard as the frustrated crowd continued their disruptive behavior, forcing the cancellation of the event. Kishore was left with no choice but to abandon the stage without announcing the final candidate.
A fresh press conference has been scheduled for today at 11 AM, where the party is expected to finalize and announce the name of its candidate.
The Jan Suraj Party had long been planning to field a Muslim candidate for the Belagnj Assembly by-election, with four names shortlisted: Amjad Hasan, Prof. Khilafat Hussain, Danish Mukhiya, and Prof. Sarfaraz Khan. However, internal tensions reached a boiling point when Danish Mukhiya withdrew his candidacy in support of Amjad Hasan, and Sarfaraz Khan also backed out, leaving Hasan and Hussain as the final contenders.
As Kishore announced that Khilafat Hussain had gained broad support from all communities in Belagnj, supporters of Amjad Hasan reacted angrily, raising slogans and disrupting the meeting. Despite Hasan’s eventual declaration of support for Hussain, the ruckus continued, preventing the party from officially finalizing its candidate on the spot.
The meeting had been scheduled to begin at 5 PM but was delayed until 9 PM. By then, party members and supporters were already on edge, and the meeting’s outcome only heightened the tension. The party had been preparing for the press conference since Thursday, but the disruption forced them to postpone the candidate announcement.
Amid the chaos, Kishore reiterated that the Jan Suraj Party would not bow to pressure tactics and that the decision would be made based on broader consensus. However, the meeting ended without any resolution, and the party will now need to manage the fallout from the rift among its supporters.
A fresh attempt to finalize the candidate for the Belagnj Assembly by-election is expected to take place later today.
