From the Army to the Polls: Retired Lieutenant General SK Singh Announced as Jan Suraj’s Candidate for Tarari Seat
Patna: With Bihar’s assembly by-elections slated for November 13, political parties are ramping up preparations. This by-election is being seen as a “semi-final” before the full assembly elections, with four seats in the fray. Among those contesting is Prashant Kishore’s Jan Suraj, marking the party’s first major electoral test. Kishore, an election strategist turned politician, announced on Wednesday that the party has nominated Lieutenant General (retired) Shri Krishna Singh as its candidate for the Tarari constituency.
Speaking at the nomination event, Kishore emphasised his commitment to selecting candidates rooted in local communities. “I promised the people of Bihar that I would field candidates who they feel represent them. If anyone finds that I’ve gone back on my word, they can hold me accountable. The candidate we’ve selected for Tarari is a source of pride for Bihar. Across the state, I will continue to field candidates dedicated to transforming Bihar,” Kishore said. He added, “If anyone across the 243 assembly seats is more talented than my candidate, I will personally support them, regardless of their party.”
Lieutenant General SK Singh, in his address, expressed his discontent with the Agniveer scheme, a short-term military recruitment initiative introduced by the Indian government. “I am not satisfied with Agniveer. A soldier who serves for 15-20 years speaks with pride about his role, but Agniveer doesn’t provide that same experience. After four years, will these recruits feel the same pride as lifelong servicemen?” Singh said, affirming his decision to join Prashant Kishore’s campaign for Bihar’s development. “I have joined this campaign to move Bihar forward, and I will give it my all,” he added.
This by-election marks the debut of Kishore’s party in Bihar’s political arena. Jan Suraj will compete against candidates from the ruling NDA and the Mahagathbandhan alliance. Kishore revealed that his party would soon announce candidates for the Belaganj, Imamganj, and Ramgarh constituencies as well.
The four seats became vacant following the victory of RJD’s Sudhakar Singh in Ramgarh, CPI(ML)’s Sudama Prasad in Tarari, RJD’s Surendra Yadav in Belaganj, and HAM’s Jitan Ram Manjhi in Imamganj in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Kishore’s candidate selection strategy appears to mirror the social engineering approach employed by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Sources suggest that Jan Suraj will field a non-Manjhi Dalit in Imamganj, a Muslim in Belaganj, and a candidate from an extremely backward or backward caste in Ramgarh.
Kishore had earlier announced his intent to contest the by-elections during the formation of his party on October 2. He vowed to continue this momentum until 2025 and declared that other Bihar parties would feel the impact by 2024. Kishore also made bold claims about Jan Suraj’s priorities if it comes to power, including a focus on quality education, youth employment, and providing a monthly pension of Rs. 2,000 to the elderly.
