Patna: Jan Suraaj has announced Prashant Kishor as its candidate for the forthcoming Bankipur Assembly by-election, marking the first time the party founder will contest an election himself.
The announcement was made by the party’s Bihar president, Manoj Bharti, at a press conference in Patna on Sunday. He said the decision was taken unanimously by the Jan Suraaj core committee.
Kishor Accepts Party’s Nomination
Accepting the nomination, Kishor thanked the party’s office-bearers and workers for placing their trust in him.
He said Jan Suraaj had been the focus of his public life for the past four years and would remain his priority for at least the next decade or until the movement achieved its objectives.
Kishor said he viewed the Bankipur contest as an opportunity to strengthen the campaign for political change in Bihar.
He added that many supporters had urged him over the past month to enter electoral politics directly and contest the by-election.
“If I receive the blessings of the people and win, I will work in accordance with their aspirations and expectations,” he said.
‘A Referendum On The Government’
Kishor described the by-election as a political test of the NDA government, which has been in office for six months under Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
He argued that a BJP victory would indicate public approval of the government’s leadership and policies, while a defeat would signal dissatisfaction with its performance.
Kishor also reiterated his criticism of Samrat Choudhary’s leadership, claiming that the Chief Minister had been appointed rather than elected to the post.
He urged Bankipur voters to support Jan Suraaj if they wanted to influence the future direction of Bihar’s politics, arguing that although a by-election would not change the government, it could shape the state’s political trajectory.
First Electoral Test
The Bankipur by-election will mark Kishor’s first direct electoral contest after spending several years building Jan Suraaj as a political movement following his career as an election strategist.
The by-election has attracted considerable political attention, with major parties expected to treat the contest as an important test of public sentiment ahead of future elections.
Among those present at the announcement were Rambali Chandravanshi, Kishore Kumar Munna, KC Sinha, Afaq Ahmed, Kumar Saurav, Subhash Kushwaha, Sarwar Ali, Indu Sinha, Obaidur Rahman, JP Singh and Rakesh Patel.
