Defeat in Tirhut bypolls doesn't signify discontent among teachers: Bihar Education Minister

Patna (The Uttam Hindu): Bihar Education Minister Sunil Kumar claimed on Thursday that NDA candidate's loss in the Tirhut Graduate Legislative Council election does not signify discontent among teachers in the state. The Minister said the defeat of NDA's Abhishek Kumar Jha should not be seen as indicative of alleged teachers' dissatisfaction against the Nitish Kumar government.

"NDA has won four seats in Assembly by-elections, and this single loss does not reflect a larger trend. The party will conduct a review to understand the reasons behind the loss in Tirhut," he said. Jha was defeated by "teachers' leader" Banshidhar Brajwasi, who was dismissed by then Education Department Additional Chief Secy K. K. Pathak. "If the assembly by-election wins are credited to the party's strategy or leadership, it's inconsistent to attribute this loss to one factor, like dissatisfaction over the dismissal of Brajwasi," Minister Kumar said.

The minister defended the party's stand and strategies and reassured supporters that one defeat does not signify a broader trend. Brajwasi, running as an independent candidate, maintained a strong lead throughout the counting and won the by-election by approximately 12,000 votes. Vinayak Gautam of the Jan Suraaj stood second, while RJD's Gopi Kishan and JD-U's Abhishek Kumar Jha secured third and fourth positions, respectively.

Earlier, Brajwasi claimed that his prior conflict with Pathak and subsequent suspension galvanised support among teachers. While campaigning, he claimed that teachers were dissatisfied with certain administrative actions. After his win, Brajwasi emphasised that his candidacy was born from the "collective anger of teachers over government actions". The by-election was necessitated as JD(U)'s Deveshchandra Thakur vacated the Tirhut Graduate seat after being elected as an MP in the Lok Sabha elections.