As results for some seats in the Bihar MLC elections were declared on Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) and an Independent candidate each won one Teachers’ constituency.
Nawal Kishore Yadav, a long-serving MLC, lost the seat to RJD’s Sanjeev Kumar, giving the opposition party a win in a key constituency. Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) also got a boost in Darbhanga as Suresh Prasad Rai defeated sitting Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha. BJP rebel Rahul Raj, contesting as an Independent, defeated JD(U) candidate Anand Pushkar to win the Saran Teachers’ constituency. The Patna Graduates’ contest remained a major political flashpoint for the JD(U). Neeraj Kumar, a senior party leader and sitting MLC seeking a fourth consecutive term, was ahead of RJD candidate Dilip Kumar, with JSP’s Dr Anuj Singh in third place. The contest was marked by open dissent within the JD(U), with Mokama MLA Anant Kumar Singh campaigning against Neeraj Kumar and backing Anuj Singh. The party suspended Anant Singh for six years over alleged anti-party activities. The result is being watched as a test of the JD(U)’s ability to contain internal dissent and consolidate support behind its official nominee. The Darbhanga Teachers’ result was a significant gain for the JSP, which defeated the Congress in a seat held by Madan Mohan Jha. The party’s representation in Bihar’s legislature has expanded following its victory in the constituency. The BJP’s defeat in Patna Teachers’ was another setback.
