Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder and Bankipur MLA Prashant Kishor on Sunday announced five candidates for the upcoming Bihar Legislative Council elections, with the Election Commission expected to announce the schedule soon.
The party has named Afaq Ahmed for the Saran teachers’ constituency, Divya Jyoti for Patna teachers’, S P Rai for Darbhanga teachers’, Ravindra Yadav for Darbhanga graduates’ and Rajnish Ranjan for the Kosi graduates’ constituency.
The elections will cover eight Legislative Council seats, comprising four graduates’ and four teachers’ constituencies spread across around 30 districts. The terms of the eight sitting members expire on November 16, and the poll process is expected to be completed before then.
JSP expands its MLC campaign
JSP had earlier announced that it would contest all eight seats as part of its organisational expansion in Bihar. The five candidates announced on Sunday represent the first major tranche of its candidates for the contest.
Afaq Ahmed, who is seeking re-election from Saran teachers’ constituency, is an incumbent MLC. He won the seat six years ago with the support of Kishor, who at the time was yet to launch the Jan Suraaj Party.
Divya Jyoti, a lawyer and academician-turned-politician who joined JSP last week, has been fielded from Patna teachers’ constituency. The seat is currently held by JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.
The other candidates are S P Rai from Darbhanga teachers’, Ravindra Yadav from Darbhanga graduates’ and Rajnish Ranjan from Kosi graduates’.
The eight constituencies include Patna, Darbhanga, Saran and Tirhut teachers’ seats, along with Patna, Darbhanga, Kosi and Tirhut graduates’ seats. Current members include BJP, JD(U), Congress, CPI and independents.
Local influence key in graduates’, teachers’ seats
Unlike the Bihar Assembly elections, the Legislative Council polls are conducted for the state legislature’s upper house. The elections to graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies have a different electorate, making candidates’ standing among graduates and teachers, local influence and the strength of party organisations important factors in the contest.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule shortly. Election Commission sources cited by Hindustan Times said the exercise would have to be completed before the existing members’ terms end in November.
JSP has also raised concerns over the preparation of electoral rolls for the graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies. In September, party state president Manoj Bharti called for the Election Commission to prepare the voter lists, while the party also sought a uniform electoral-roll system.
The upcoming contest is separate from the Bihar Assembly polls. Bihar is among only six Indian states with a Legislative Council, alongside Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Prashant Kishor calls for greater Muslim representation
The MLC announcements come days after Kishor called on Muslims in Bihar to seek greater political representation rather than become “camp followers” of any political party.
He made the remarks last Sunday at a minorities convention in Sabzibagh, a Muslim-majority locality in Patna that falls under his Bankipur Assembly constituency. He thanked members of the community for supporting him in the recently held bypoll and said minorities should receive a fair deal and due representation in democratic politics.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support during the recently held by-poll. Now we must strive to ensure a fair deal for the minorities, who must get due representation in democratic politics,” Kishor told the gathering.
He further said social groups should focus on the future of their children instead of being influenced by leaders who claim to represent their interests.
“I say to all social segments in Bihar to care for the future of their own children instead of getting swayed by leaders claiming to champion their cause. That is my request to the minorities also. They must fight for their due share in politics, instead of becoming camp followers of any party,” he said.
Bankipur win gives JSP a legislative foothold
Kishor’s comments followed his victory in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll, where he defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha in his electoral debut. The bypoll was held after BJP leader Nitin Nabin vacated the seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha.
Kishor won the contest by more than 19,000 votes, giving JSP its first seat in the Bihar legislature. Bankipur had been represented by the BJP since 1995.
The result also brought attention to the voting pattern in the constituency, with some election analysts and reports pointing to support from Muslim voters who had traditionally backed the RJD. However, assessments of voter motivations vary, and claims about the scale or reasons for such a shift have been attributed to individual analysts rather than established as a constituency-wide fact.
Kishor is now seeking to build on that electoral entry through the Legislative Council elections, with JSP having declared its intention to contest all eight seats.