Patna, Oct 28 — Following Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor’s triumph in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll, the party has expanded its footprint in state politics by securing its first seat in the Bihar Legislative Council.
In a significant political breakthrough, Jan Suraaj party candidate Suresh Prasad Rai won the Darbhanga Teachers’ MLC seat, defeating sitting Congress MLC Madan Mohan Jha by a margin of 324 votes.
According to official election data, Suresh Prasad Rai polled 2,574 votes against Madan Mohan Jha’s 2,187.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Ramdev Rai received 1,498 votes, while Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) nominee Kumar Raut managed 126 votes.
The multi-cornered contest among the Congress, RJD, and CPI(M) fragmented the traditional opposition vote share, creating a clear opening for the newly formed Jan Suraaj party.
The outcome dealt a major blow to Congress. Madan Mohan Jha, a former Bihar Congress president and former cabinet minister in the Grand Alliance government, had represented the constituency for the previous two terms.
His defeat reduces the party’s representation in the Upper House of the state legislature to just a single seat.
Suresh Prasad Rai, who previously contested from the same constituency as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and finished runner-up, demonstrated consistent strength throughout the vote count. He took an early lead in first-preference votes and maintained his advantage until the final rounds.
This victory strengthens the Jan Suraaj party’s effort to position itself as a viable political alternative to Bihar’s established alliances.
The party, launched by political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, has aimed to transform its grassroots campaign momentum into legislative presence.
Jan Suraaj’s entry into the Upper House marks another milestone in its ongoing electoral debut.
Voting for the 8 MLC seats, including four teachers and four graduate seats, was held on October 23, and counting started on October 27 at 8 a.m.
With this, the Election Commission of India has announced the results of all four Teachers' constituencies of Bihar.
The RJD candidate, Dr Sanjiv Kumar, emerged victorious on the Patna Teachers seat, while Rahul Raj, an Independent candidate, won the Saran Teachers seat. On the Tirhut Teachers seat, BJP candidate N.P. Singh won the contest in a tight finish.