Patna: The Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor, raised eyebrows on Thursday with the release of its first list of 51 candidates for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, strategically placing relatives of two of the state’s most prominent political figures. However, the announcement was immediately marred by public dissent at the party headquarters, underscoring the challenges of integrating established political families into a “new politics” framework.
The list features Jagriti Thakur, granddaughter of socialist icon and former Chief Minister Jananayak Karpuri Thakur, who has been nominated to contest from the Morwa assembly seat in Samastipur. Jagriti, daughter of Karpuri Thakur’s younger son Virendra Nath Thakur, joined the JSP only last year, signaling the party’s ambition to co-opt a significant political legacy ahead of the crucial polls.
JD (U) Bastion Under Direct Attack
In a move widely seen as a direct challenge to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), the JSP handed a ticket to Lata Singh, daughter of former Union Minister and ex-JD (U) National President R.C.P. Singh. Lata Singh will contest the Asthawan assembly seat in Nalanda district, which is considered a traditional JDU stronghold. The incumbent MLA, Jitendra Kumar, has represented the JDU from this seat for five consecutive terms.
The candidacy of Lata Singh is particularly pointed, given her father’s acrimonious split from the JD (U) and Nitish Kumar. In a political flourish, it was R.C.P. Singh himself who announced the names included in the party’s first list at the Jan Suraaj office. By challenging the JD (U) in its home turf, Jan Suraaj appears intent on positioning itself as the key opposition alternative to both the NDA and the Grand Alliance.
Discontent Erupts at Party Office
Despite the high-profile entries, the candidate selection process instantly triggered internal turmoil. Moments after the list was made public, a significant uproar broke out at the Jan Suraaj Party office in Patna.
Reports indicate that more than a dozen leaders, who were denied tickets, raised slogans against the party leadership. The discontent was specifically amplified by protests against the nomination of Lata Singh, with some sources claiming slogans were raised directly against her father, R.C.P. Singh.
