Bettiah (Bihar) [India], October 26 (ANI): Amidst the Bihar Assembly polls, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sanjay Jaiswal has received threatening calls from unknown persons demanding a ransom of Rs 10 crore and threatening to kill his son if the demand isn't met, said a police official.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Bettiah Sadar SDPO Vivek Deep said that the police administration has started an investigation into this matter, adding that the person's identity has been established and they would be arrested soon.

'Today, an application was received from the MP (Sanjay Jaiswal) in which it was stated that yesterday at 12.40 pm and 12.44 pm, unknown persons called from two different numbers demanding Rs 10 crore from him and threatened to kill his son if he did not pay. We have started an investigation into this matter, and the person's identity has been established, and he will be arrested soon,' the official said.

Further details awaited.

Sanjay Jaiswal is a prominent leader of the BJP from Bihar and represents the Paschim Champaran constituency as a Member of Parliament (MP). He had also served as a Bihar BJP chief.

The 243-member Bihar Assembly will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, and counting of votes will take place on November 14.

Earlier on Wednesday, Jaiswal took a dig at Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor, saying that all 153 candidates fielded by the latter's party will lose their deposits in the already announced Bihar assembly elections.

Speaking to ANI in Bettiah, Jaiswal pointed out that Kishor has not fielded anyone from his top leadership, as they would lose their deposits.

'Prashant Kishor considers himself a political strategist. He's not fielding anyone from his top leadership because if they contest the elections, their deposits will be forfeited. Prashant Kishor will make history in the elections. All 153 of his candidates will have their deposits forfeited, and this will become a historic party,' BJP leader Jaiswal said.

His remarks come after Kishor hit out at the BJP on Tuesday, alleging that three Jan Suraaj candidates had been forced to withdraw from the Bihar electoral contest. He said that while 'booths used to be looted during Laluji's tenure' and 'results were looted' in the 2020 assembly polls, 'candidates are being looted for the first time'.

Prashant Kishor accused the BJP of looting candidates. He alleged that in the previous election, 'in at least 10-12 seats in which there was a close contest, the NDA declared the results in their favour.'

'They (BJP) should say when Shashi Shekhar Sinha was part of the BJP. He joined Jan Suraaj. There are many leaders in Jan Suraaj who came from the BJP and the RJD. If he were a disciplined worker of the BJP, why did he join Jan Suraaj? What was the need for the Union Home Minister Amit Shah to sit with him when he got a ticket from Jan Suraaj and he had to file nomination papers? ... Why did Union Home Minister Amit Shah meet Mutur Shah on the day he had to file nominations? ... During Lalu Ji's tenure, booths used to be looted; in the previous elections, results were looted in at least 10-12 seats in which there was a close contest, and the NDA declared the results in their favour,' Kishor told ANI in an interview. (ANI)