Bihar Legislative Council Polls: JD(U)'s Abhishek Jha Loses Tirhut Graduates' Seat, Devesh Thakur Blames NDA Allies

Following the recent Bihar legislative council elections, the NDA alliance experienced internal discord after JD(U) candidate Abhishek Jha lost the Tirhut Graduates constituency to independent candidate Banshidhar Brajwasi. JD(U) MP Devesh Chandra Thakur, in an apparent critique of BJP, alleged that alliance partners had not genuinely supported Jha.

Jha claimed that nearly 4,700 votes were invalidated due to voters marking a tick against his name, which could have led to a comfortable victory for him. Comparing his defeat to Mahabharata warrior Abhimanyu trapped in a Chakravyuh, Jha questioned whether he had been isolated by members of his own political family within the NDA.

Thakur defended himself, asserting that several NDA leaders had not fully supported Jha, with the rivalry being directed at him rather than Jha. Thakur also claimed that he had faced similar treatment from alliance partners in previous elections, emphasizing his adherence to coalition dharma and campaigning for NDA candidates. BJP MLA Baidyanath Prasad advised Thakur against making frivolous statements, urging him to maintain balanced remarks.

Prasad also rejected allegations of BJP workers' indifference towards Jha, stating that the NDA had campaigned in both Tirhut Teachers' and Graduates' constituencies, with Jha's votes increasing from 10,000 in the previous election to 22,000 in the recent one.