Bihar’s political environment is highly charged in anticipation of the elections. Beyond the internal discord within Lalu Yadav’s family, the JDU is facing its own internal conflicts. Prashant Kishor has accused JDU minister Ashok Choudhary of being involved in a 200 crore rupee corruption scandal, bringing the internal strife within JDU to the fore.
After Prashant Kishor made his accusations, Minister Choudhary has not made a statement, but former JDU minister and MLC Neeraj Kumar has come forward. JDU spokesperson MLC Neeraj Kumar has urged Choudhary to address the accusations, separating himself from the party line. He has also questioned Choudhary’s description of Nitish Kumar as a ‘spiritual father.’
Moreover, Prashant Kishor has stated in the media that Ashok Choudhary must either address the allegations or resign. This is consistent with Nitish Kumar’s approach; in a prior Mahagathbandhan government, Tejashwi Yadav faced a similar demand to respond to allegations, which resulted in the dissolution of the alliance when he did not comply.
The critical issue now is whether Ashok Choudhary will respond or resign. In the context of the upcoming Bihar elections, Ashok Choudhary is under scrutiny from Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha in relation to the Suryagarha seat. He is also under fire from Minister Vijay Choudhary regarding the Barbigha seat, where he wishes to support his son-in-law. JDU MLC Neeraj Kumar has also raised concerns about his close relationship with Anant Singh.