‘Won’t leave without ticket’: JD(U)’s Gopal Mandal stages sit-in outside Nitish Kumar’s residence | Watch

(screengrab: ANI/X)

Upset over not receiving a call after the NDA finalised its seat-sharing arrangement for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, JD(U) MLA Gopal Mandal on Monday staged a protest outside Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s residence in Patna.

The Gopalpur legislator sat on the ground outside the CM’s house, demanding a meeting to secure his party ticket for the Gopalpur Assembly constituency.

“I want to meet the CM. I have been waiting here since 08:30 hours. I will get the election ticket. I won’t go without getting it,” Mandal told news agency ANI.

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar| JD(U) MLA Gopal Mandal sits on the ground outside CM Nitish Kumar's house over his demand to meet the CM to get an election ticket from Gopalpur Assembly constituency in the upcoming Bihar elections pic.twitter.com/arVO3PwbkO

— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2025

Mandal’s latest protest comes amid his history of controversial behaviour that has often embarrassed the Janata Dal (United).

In 2021, he made headlines after being photographed walking in his undergarments in a first-class AC coach of the Tejas Rajdhani Express while travelling from Patna to Delhi. The images went viral on social media, drawing criticism for bringing disrepute to the ruling party.

Earlier that same year, the JD(U) had issued Mandal a show-cause notice for accusing then Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Tarkishore Prasad of “collecting extortion money from businessmen of Bhagalpur.” Following Prasad’s visit to Bhagalpur for a review meeting, Mandal alleged that the BJP leader “frequently visited Bhagalpur to collect extortion money” and demanded an inquiry as well as his resignation.

Mandal’s notoriety dates back further. In March 2016, JD(U)’s then state president Bashishtha Narain Singh suspended him from the party after he publicly threatened to resort to the “politics of murder.” Speaking at a public event, Mandal had said, “Main ab hatya ki rajniti hi karunga aur hatya karwaunga (I will indulge in the politics of murder and execute people).”

The latest seat-sharing arrangement under the NDA has allocated 101 seats each to the BJP and JD(U). The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 29 seats, while the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will contest six seats each.

The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with vote counting on November 14, 2025.