Jan Suraaj Party Wins First Bihar Legislative Council Seat in Darbhanga
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Jan Suraaj Party candidate Suresh Prasad Rai defeated Congress incumbent Madan Mohan Jha in the Darbhanga Teachers' constituency, delivering the party its first seat in the Bihar Legislative Council in a tightly fought election.
Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party has entered the Bihar Legislative Council after its candidate, Suresh Prasad Rai, won the Darbhanga Teachers' constituency by 324 votes over Congress incumbent Madan Mohan Jha. Rai, who had earlier contested as a BJP candidate, was ahead in first-preference votes and held that advantage throughout the count.
The election covered eight council seats. The ruling National Democratic Alliance is projected to secure five seats, independents are expected to win two, and Jan Suraaj captured one. In the same contest, the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also fielded candidates, but their split vote share helped Jan Suraaj convert a narrow opening into victory.
"Rai received 2,574 votes, Jha 2,187 and CPM candidate Ramdev Rai 1,498," the results showed. RJD nominee Kumar Raut obtained 126 votes.
Madan Mohan Jha, who had held the seat for two terms and previously served as state Congress president and a minister in the Mahagathbandhan government, was defeated, leaving the Congress with a single council seat. The outcome highlights the continuing electoral pressure on the Grand Alliance in Bihar's upper house contests, even as the NDA remains the dominant force.