Prashant Kishor Enters Bihar By-Election Fray, Sparks Grand Alliance Divide

There is a political upheaval in Bihar's Bankipur assembly by-election. Prashant Kishor has been announced as a candidate by the Jansuraj Party today. Different voices have started to be heard within the Grand Alliance. While senior Congress leader Rishi Mishra has said that Prashant Kishor should be made a joint candidate of the opposition, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has completely rejected this suggestion. This has brought the differences in the Grand Alliance before the by-election to the fore. Senior Congress leader Rishi Mishra said, "Congress and RJD should help Prashant Kishor. If the opposition has to defeat the BJP, they have to give a common candidate. Prashant Kishor is going to contest the election. He should talk to the RJD and Congress. I hope that he will benefit. Congress will definitely support him. This has been the seat of BJP national president Nitin Naveen. It is a stronghold of the BJP. So if Prashant Kishor has to challenge the BJP, then he should help." This statement of Rishi Mishra came at the time when the formal name of Prashant Kishor has been announced in the meeting of the Congress group after the formal meeting of the by-election.