Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary has sharply criticised Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor for his recent allegation that her father, Bihar Minister Ashok Choudhary, “paid” for her Lok Sabha ticket. In an interview with media, Shambhavi described the allegation as a personal attack, calling Kishor’s remarks reflective of a “feudal mindset.”
Kishor, while speaking at a press conference in Jamui last month, alleged that JD(U) minister Ashok Choudhary had financially influenced LJP (Ram Vilas) to secure the Samastipur Lok Sabha seat for his daughter. In response, Ashok Choudhary has filed a defamation case against Kishor.
“Targeting a Dalit woman who is progressing shows a feudal mindset,” said Shambhavi, asserting that Kishor’s comments expose his “arrogance and ego.”
At just 25 years old, Shambhavi Choudhary became one of the youngest MPs in the 18th Lok Sabha after defeating Congress candidate Sunny Hazari by 1,87,251 votes in Samastipur, Bihar.
Dismissing Kishor’s relevance, Shambhavi said:
“First of all, I don’t think Prashant Kishor is worth the time… Yes, I do feel it was a personal attack. I come from a political family and I’m a third-generation politician. Politics should be about ideologies, not individual attacks.”
She further questioned Kishor’s motives for singling her out:
“Is it because I’m a Dalit? Because I’m a woman? If he wanted to criticise my party, there are many MPs he could have targeted. Why me?”
Shambhavi Choudhary’s political lineage includes her grandfather, the late Mahavir Choudhary, a prominent Congress leader who served eight terms across various constituencies. Her father, Ashok Choudhary, was also a senior Congress figure before joining JD(U), and is a key minister in Nitish Kumar’s cabinet.
With the Bihar Assembly elections expected later this year, political tensions are escalating. The NDA looks to retain power, while the INDIA bloc, including RJD and Congress, aims to challenge its dominance. Jan Suraaj, led by Kishor, is also vying for public support, making this a politically charged moment in Bihar’s evolving landscape.