Prashant Kishor challenges RJD on fielding Muslim candidates
Jan Suraj Pradhan Prashant Kishor challenged the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) that if the party claims to be the leader of Muslims, it should give tickets to the Semi community according to their population rather than using them as ‘vote banks’.
“If rights are to be given on the basis of population, Muslims should contest elections in at least 40 assembly seats. RJD people claim to be well-wishers of Muslims.” Kishore told reporters on Sunday.
“I challenged them that if the Muslim vote is split by Jan Suraj Party contesting elections, wherever you launch a Muslim candidate, we will launch a Hindu candidate there. Stop taking away their rights and ticket according to population. You have taken their vote,” he added.
Kishore also pointed out that in the current assembly, “there were only 19 Muslim members, even though the community comprises about 20 per cent of the total population of the state.
“So much for RJD’s secular credentials, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar JD(U) and Congress,” said a former strategist who has lent his services to all these parties in the past.
The activist-turned-politician also assured that his John Suraj will field a significant number of Muslim candidates in next year’s Bihar Assembly elections.
The IPAC founder, however, rejected allegations that he was trying to “split” the votes of the minority community and hit out at RJD, BJP’s main rival in the state.
“We tend to give tickets to at least 40 Muslims in the 243-strong assembly elections. The organization will also have its fair share of community representation in the leadership,” Kishore added.
In 2025, Jan Suraj will be sworn in as Chief Minister
Kishore also expressed confidence to win the Bihar assembly elections in 2025 “In 2025, CM Know Suraj Will take oath, and Jan Suraj’s government will be in power. No ifs and buts,” he added.
Asked if it would be a three-way contest, he said the main contest in the assembly elections would be between Jan Suraj and the NDA. “As per the Lok Sabha numbers, he said, the NDA is leading in 176 of Bihar’s 243 assembly seats. The RJD is nowhere,” he added.
Bihar assembly elections are likely to be held in October-November 2025.
(with input from agencies)
