Bihar – The Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party faced a significant embarrassment on Wednesday when its Jan Suraaj candidate defects to the Bharatiya Janata Party, merely hours before the first phase of polling in the 2025 Bihar assembly election. This stunning development has raised serious questions about the organizational strength and candidate selection process of the newly formed political outfit making its electoral debut.
Munger Candidate Switches Allegiance
Sanjay Singh, representing Jan Suraaj Party from Bihar’s Munger Assembly constituency, made the surprise switch to BJP on Wednesday evening, dealing a severe blow to Prashant Kishor’s political ambitions. The timing of this Jan Suraaj candidate defects incident proved particularly damaging, occurring just one day before voters in Munger were scheduled to cast their ballots on Thursday, November 6, as part of the first phase covering 121 constituencies across 18 districts.
Following his induction into the BJP, Sanjay Singh immediately extended his support to NDA nominee Kumar Pranay, the official BJP candidate from the Munger seat. This endorsement effectively transformed Singh from an opponent into an ally of the ruling coalition, leaving Jan Suraaj Party without representation in a constituency where it had invested campaign resources and political capital.
Praise for Modi and Nitish Kumar
After the Jan Suraaj candidate defects to BJP, Sanjay Singh offered effusive praise for both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, signaling his complete ideological alignment with the National Democratic Alliance. “Bihar has witnessed tremendous growth under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. I am confident that the state will continue to develop further under the NDA rule,” Singh told reporters immediately after joining the saffron party.
Singh expressed strong confidence that the NDA would secure victory in Bihar with a substantial margin, effectively repudiating his former party’s prospects. His public statements represented not merely a party switch but a comprehensive endorsement of the ruling coalition’s governance record and development narrative, further compounding the embarrassment for Jan Suraaj Party leadership.
Silent Leadership Amid Crisis
As the Jan Suraaj candidate defects scandal unfolded, senior party leaders remained conspicuously silent, offering no immediate explanation or damage control response. This lack of prompt reaction from Prashant Kishor and other key figures raised questions about the party’s preparedness to handle such crises during its maiden electoral venture. The absence of official comment suggested either strategic silence or organizational confusion in responding to this unexpected development.
The defection highlights potential vulnerabilities in Jan Suraaj Party’s candidate vetting process and internal cohesion, particularly concerning for a political formation fielding candidates across all 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar. The incident may prompt voters to question the commitment level of other Jan Suraaj candidates and the party’s overall viability as a third alternative to established political formations.
Also Read: Bihar Election 2025: Massive Phase 1 Voting Begins Across 121 Constituencies
Cross-Party Defections Mark Campaign
Interestingly, the Jan Suraaj candidate defects incident wasn’t an isolated case of political migration during this election cycle. In a reverse movement, BJP’s sitting MLA from Pirpainti, Lalan Paswan, joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal after being denied a party ticket by the saffron party. This cross-party defection pattern suggests widespread candidate dissatisfaction and strategic repositioning ahead of the crucial assembly polls.
These movements underscore the fluid nature of Bihar’s political landscape, where ideological commitments often take a backseat to pragmatic considerations about electoral prospects and ticket distribution. The bidirectional flow of candidates between parties indicates that all formations, including established ones, face challenges in maintaining candidate loyalty and satisfaction.
Jan Suraaj Worker’s Death Casts Shadow
The Jan Suraaj candidate defects controversy emerged against the backdrop of another serious incident involving the party. Last Thursday, Jan Suraaj worker Dularchand Yadav was allegedly shot dead inside his vehicle during a campaign trail in Bihar’s Patna district, creating significant fallout for JD(U) candidate Anant Singh from the Mokama constituency.
The victim was killed in the Mokama area following reported firing between two sides during election campaigning. Patna Police arrested Anant Singh three days later in connection with the murder case, along with two associates—Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram. “It was found that all this happened in the presence of the candidate, Anant Singh, who is also the main accused in the case,” stated Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma, confirming the severity of the allegations.
This violent incident, where Jan Suraaj candidate defects had already placed Jan Suraaj Party in the spotlight for tragic reasons, and the subsequent Jan Suraaj candidate defects episode compounded the party’s difficulties during its crucial debut election campaign.
Election Timeline and Stakes
The Bihar assembly elections are scheduled across two phases on November 6 and November 11, with results to be declared on November 14. The Jan Suraaj candidate defects incident on the eve of Phase 1 polling potentially affects voter perception not only in Munger but across constituencies voting in the first phase, as it raises broader questions about the party’s organizational stability and candidate commitment during this critical three-way electoral contest.
