3 min readPatnaUpdated: Nov 13, 2026 09:35 PM ISTThis marked the first time the two leaders had met in public. (Express Photo)AI Narration Listen 00:000.5x0.75x1x1.25x1.5x2xWhen Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary met the man who has targeted him the most over the past year — Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder and Bankipur MLA Prashant Kishor — it was an unexpected encounter: a smile here, a handshake there, greetings and a cordial chat.The occasion was the Brahmbhoj — the final-day ritual — for senior BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP RK Sinha, who passed away on October 30 after a prolonged illness. Sinha’s son and BJP national secretary, Rituraj Sinha, escorted Kishor to meet Choudhary, who arrived at the venue after him.The two leaders smiled, shook hands and exchanged greetings. Later, Kishor sat alongside the CM, and the two were seen conversing amicably.This marked the first time the two leaders had met in public. While Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has routinely taken on Choudhary, it is Kishor who has dominated political discourse by targeting the Chief Minister over his age, educational qualifications and the 1995 Tarapur case. Though Choudhary has consistently rebutted the criticism, he has reportedly been sensitive to the JSP leader’s barbs, particularly Kishor’s blaming him for the party’s Bankipur bypoll loss. The two leaders smiled, shook hands and exchanged greetings. (Express Photo)Senior leaders such as BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi also arrived at Rituraj Sinha’s Patna residence to pay their respects. While the exact details of their conversation remain unknown, a JSP leader said, “There was nothing more to it beyond a courtesy meeting. In any case, as an MLA, Prashant Kishor will have the opportunity to meet the CM during the upcoming Assembly session later this month.”Kishor later told the media that social and political courtesy should be maintained in a democracy.“However, our political opposition to Samrat Choudhary will continue. Our meeting will not suddenly change Samrat Choudhary from a Class 7 dropout to a PhD doctor. If he’s been accused of something, if I’ve accused him of something, it won’t disappear merely because of this meeting.”Story continues below this adBJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan told The Indian Express: “It was a chance courtesy meeting, and no political interpretations should be drawn from it. Politicians in Bihar have always maintained courtesy toward their political opponents”.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdSantosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. Expertise ... Read More AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement