Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Saturday claimed that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav would lose his Raghopur assembly seat in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, just like Congress' Rahul Gandhi had suffered a humiliating defeat in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh six years ago.
Kishor, spoke to journalists in Patna before kickstarting his party’s campaign from Raghopur, about 50 km away, but kept cards close to the chest on the possibility of entering the fray himself.
"I am going to Raghopur to get feedback from the people of the constituency, which wants an end to the supremacy of one family. Before Tejashwi Yadav, a second-term MLA, his father Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi had represented that seat. Yet, it is crying for basic amenities," alleged Kishor.
He said the Jan Suraaj Party’s central election committee meeting is scheduled for Sunday, and the feedback he would receive from Raghopur will also be up for discussion.
"Based on that, the most suitable candidate will be decided. I cannot say whether it is going to be me. The decision has to be taken by the party," Kishor said.
The 47-year-old broke into a grin when journalists pointed out that rumours were afloat that Yadav might contest the upcoming polls from more than one seat.
Kishor said, “At present, there is just a speculation that Jan Suraaj Party will give a strong candidate in Raghopur, and Tejashwi Yadav is so scared. Let him contest from two seats. His fate in Raghopur will be the same as that of Rahul Gandhi in 2019, when the Congress leader fought two seats, but ended up losing his stronghold of Amethi." Notably, Gandhi, currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had managed to win the Wayanad LS seat in 2019.
In the Lok Sabha polls last year, he again contested from two seats, Wayanad and Rae Bareli which had been represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi several times.
After winning both seats, Gandhi vacated Wayanad, which elected his sister Priyanka Vadra in the bypoll.
The Congress also wrested back Amethi, where Kishori Lal Sharma, a less fancied candidate, defeated former Union minister and BJP MP Smriti Irani.
Kishor was also asked whether Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh could have announced the decision not to contest assembly polls out of “fear”, a day after the latter’s estranged wife Jyoti met the Jan Suraaj Party founder.
He replied, “Pawan Singh is not an enemy. He is a personal friend, and it does not matter to me that he is in the BJP. When his wife came to me to share her insecurities, I gave her assurance just like a brother. We are very clear that neither I nor Jan Suraaj Party is going to meddle in their marital dispute”.
Jyoti was understood to have approached Kishor with the request for a ticket, though she denied it when journalists asked her about the same.
Kishor said, "It is tainted leaders like (Deputy CM) Samrat Choudhary and (minister) Ashok Choudhary who seem to be living in fear of Jan Suraaj. Ashok Choudhary has rhetorically claimed that he will not pursue his defamation case against me but will fight it out in the people’s court. Let him declare which assembly seat he is going to contest. We are ready." He also made light of several aspirants voicing dissatisfaction after the party released its first list of 51 candidates a couple of days ago.
"It is natural. Thousands of people have built the Jan Suraaj Party with their blood, tears and sweat. It is never possible to accommodate them all when the assembly has only 243 seats. But we are a democratic party which does not keep its doors shut. Everything will be resolved," claimed Kishor.
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