Prashant Kishor Hints at Contesting from Tejashwi Yadav’s Raghopur Seat, Targets Nitish Kumar and Liquor Ban

Patna: Jan Suraj Party founder Prashant Kishor (PK) has hinted at contesting from Raghopur, the assembly constituency of Tejashwi Yadav, in the upcoming Bihar elections. He stated that party workers have been suggesting his candidature from the seat, though the final decision will be taken by the party. Kishor also announced that Jan Suraj will contest all 243 seats in Bihar without forming an alliance with any other party.

Challenges NDA Over CM Candidate

Taking a dig at the NDA, Kishor questioned why the alliance has not declared its chief ministerial face. He challenged the BJP to officially announce that Nitish Kumar will be their CM candidate.

“If NDA has the guts, let them declare that Nitish Kumar will be the next Chief Minister. BJP does not have the courage to do so. Nitish Kumar will not become CM after November,” Kishor claimed.

He further alleged that Nitish Kumar is merely a symbolic leader and that the real power lies with the BJP leadership.

“Nitish is not running the government; he is just the face. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have never said that Nitish will be the next CM,” he added.

Raghopur: A Stronghold of Lalu Family

Raghopur has been a bastion of the Lalu family for decades.

• Lalu Prasad Yadav won from Raghopur in 1995 and 2000.
• Rabri Devi contested from this seat in 2000, 2005, and 2010, winning two out of three times.
• In 2010, Rabri Devi lost to JDU’s Satish Kumar.
• In 2015, Tejashwi Yadav took over the legacy and won his first election from Raghopur.
• In 2020, Tejashwi retained the seat in the Bihar Assembly elections.

If Kishor contests from Raghopur, it could set the stage for a high-stakes political battle.

Liquor Ban Will Be Scrapped Within an Hour: PK

Kishor strongly opposed Bihar’s liquor ban, calling it a failed policy. He claimed that despite the ban, liquor is freely available, leading to a loss of ₹20,000 crore annually.

“If prohibition was truly beneficial, BJP would have implemented it in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh as well. But they haven’t because they know it does not work,” he said.

He further criticized Nitish Kumar’s government, accusing it of distributing liquor licenses at the panchayat level before enforcing the ban. He vowed that if Jan Suraj forms the government, the liquor ban will be lifted within an hour.

“Only liquor shops have been shut down, not liquor. Bihar needs regulation, not prohibition,” he said.

Jan Suraj’s Vision: Education, Migration, and Employment

Prashant Kishor outlined a five-point agenda for Bihar’s development, promising to make the state one of the top 10 in the country within 10 years.

1. Education:
   • Focus on providing quality education for children under 15 years.
   • Poor families will be encouraged to send children to private schools, with the government reimbursing the fees.
2. Migration:
   • Reduce migration by ensuring local employment so that people do not leave for jobs paying just ₹5,000–₹10,000 per month.
   • A blueprint has been prepared to retain workers within Bihar.
3. Employment & MNREGA:
   • Link MNREGA directly to agriculture to boost rural employment.
   • Provide self-employment opportunities for women and youth in every household.
   • Ensure every household sees an increase in income through structured economic programs.

Kishor positioned Jan Suraj as an alternative to both NDA and the Grand Alliance, promising radical reforms in governance. With Bihar gearing up for elections, his potential contest from Raghopur and bold policy promises are set to intensify the political landscape.