Patna: Discontent within the NDA surfaced following JD(U) candidate Abhishek Jha's defeat in the Tirhut Graduates' constituency in the recently-concluded Bihar legislative council elections. Party MP Devesh Chandra Thakur in an apparent attack on BJP alleged that leaders of alliance partners had not sincerely supported him.
Independent Banshidhar Brajwasi Wins By 9,147 Votes
Jha lost the seat to the Independent candidate Banshidhar Brajwasi by 9,147 votes. Brajwasi retained it for a second consecutive term.
In a post on X, Jha alleged that nearly 4,700 votes were invalidated because voters had marked a tick against his name on the ballot papers. He claimed he could have won comfortably had these votes been counted.
JD(U) Candidate Compares His Defeat To Abhimanyu's Chakravyuh
Comparing himself to Abhimanyu, the Mahabharata warrior trapped in a Chakravyuh, Jha wondered whether he had been isolated by members of his own political family, an apparent reference to the NDA. He, however, did not name anyone.
Extending his support to Jha, Thakur said several NDA leaders had not wholeheartedly supported the JD(U) candidate, claiming their rivalry was directed at him rather than Jha.
Thakur Claims Political Rivalry Was Directed At Him
"They found Devesh Thakur standing before them, not Abhishek Jha," he said, alleging that some leaders were uncomfortable with his growing political prominence.
Thakur also claimed he had faced similar treatment from alliance partners in previous elections, adding that he had always followed coalition dharma and campaigned for NDA candidates.
Reacting to his remarks, BJP MLA Baidyanath Prasad advised Thakur against making frivolous statements.
Prasad advised JD(U) MP Thakur to make balanced statements, saying his remarks were unbecoming of his political stature.
Rejecting allegations of BJP workers' indifference towards JD(U) candidate Abhishek Jha in the Tirhut Graduates' constituency, Prasad said the NDA had worked collected in both Tirhut Teachers` and Graduates’ constituencies.
He said Jha's vote tally increased from 10,000 in the previous election to 22,000 this time with the support of BJP and other NDA partners. Defeat and victory were part of democracy, he added.
Thakur represented the Tirhut Graduates' constituency for four consecutive terms and served as a minister in the Nitish Kumar government and chairman of the Legislative Council. He resigned in 2024 after winning the Sitamarhi Lok Sabha seat. In the ensuing bypoll, Independent candidate Banshidhar Brajwasi defeated JD(U)'s Abhishek Jha. Brajwasi has now defeated Jha again, securing a second consecutive victory as an Independent.
