As political temperatures soar ahead of the Bihar Assembly Elections later this year, Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor launched a scathing attack on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of making token political gestures and showing little real engagement with Bihar’s people.
In a pointed interview with media, Kishor challenged Gandhi to spend even one night in a village in Bihar if he truly cares about the state’s grassroots.
“Rahul ji keeps coming and going here, but doesn’t really undertake any Yatra. If he can spend even one night in a Bihar village, we’ll accept it,” Kishor stated.
He also slammed Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for past remarks implying that “labour is in the DNA of Biharis”, demanding an apology and accusing the Congress party of long-standing neglect and disrespect toward Biharis.
“You say Biharis are born to do labour work, and then come here to lecture us? This is not acceptable,” Kishor said, highlighting that Revanth’s comments were rooted in bias against bureaucrats with Bihar backgrounds during a political rivalry in Telangana.
Kishor questioned Congress’s legacy in Bihar, referencing Rajiv Gandhi’s 1989 promise to make the state a hub of development.
“Congress remained in power after that promise. Where did the money go? What did they do for Bihar?” he asked.
He further suggested that before campaigning in the state, Rahul Gandhi should apologise to Biharis—drawing a comparison to the Congress apology for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
“If Congress could apologise to Sikhs, why not Biharis, who’ve been insulted repeatedly?” he added.
On Congress’s electoral prospects in Bihar, Kishor was blunt:
“Congress has no real existence here. For 25-30 years, it’s been carrying Lalu ji’s bag. If Rahul Gandhi has political strength, let him contest without RJD support and demand 40% of the seats—let’s see how that goes.”
Kishor also confirmed that Jan Suraaj will contest the polls independently, positioning his party as a third alternative outside the NDA and INDIA blocs.
Current Bihar Assembly Composition (243 seats):
- NDA (131): BJP – 80, JD(U) – 45, HAM(S) – 4, Independents – 2
- INDIA Bloc (111): RJD – 77, Congress – 19, CPI(ML) – 11, CPI(M) – 2, CPI – 2
The Election Commission of India has yet to announce the official poll schedule, but elections are expected in October–November 2025.