Patna: Jan Suraaj has replaced its candidate for the Tirhut Teachers’ constituency in the upcoming Bihar Legislative Council elections after Bhushan Jha returned his party ticket and decided to contest the election as an independent.
Jan Suraaj had announced Jha as its candidate on September 24. He decided to part ways with the party the following day.
Jha attended a meeting at a private hotel in Muzaffarpur on Friday in the presence of Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor. Following the meeting, he returned the party ticket.
Jha Cites Lack Of Opportunity To Speak
Jha said he took the decision after he was not given an opportunity to present his views during the meeting.
He said he consulted fellow teachers before deciding to contest the election as an independent candidate.
According to reports, Jha objected to the manner in which the meeting was conducted and subsequently decided to distance himself from the party.
Shyam Nandan Yadav Named New Candidate
Following Jha’s decision, Jan Suraaj announced Shyam Nandan Yadav as its new candidate for the Tirhut Teachers’ constituency.
The party announced the replacement during a press conference in Patna, changing its nominee for the seat less than two days after Jha was originally named.
Jan Suraaj had announced its final three candidates for the remaining constituencies on September 24, completing its list of eight candidates for the four Teachers’ and four Graduates’ constituencies.
Party Had Completed Its Eight-Candidate List
In its September 24 announcement, Jan Suraaj had named Dr Anuj Singh for the Patna Graduates’ constituency, Dr Vimohan Kumar for the Tirhut Graduates’ constituency and Bhushan Jha for the Tirhut Teachers’ constituency.
The party had earlier announced five candidates: Divya Jyoti for Patna Teachers’, S P Rai for Darbhanga Teachers’, Afaque Ahmad for Saran Teachers’, Ravindra Yadav for Darbhanga Graduates’ and Rajnish Ranjan for Kosi Graduates’.
With Jha’s replacement, Jan Suraaj has now changed its nominee for one of the eight constituencies.
Eight Council Seats Up For Election
The upcoming Bihar Legislative Council elections cover eight seats — four Teachers’ and four Graduates’ constituencies: Patna, Darbhanga, Saran and Tirhut for Teachers, and Patna, Darbhanga, Kosi and Tirhut for Graduates. The terms of the sitting members of these eight constituencies are due to expire in November 2026.
The official election schedule is yet to be announced.
