Renowned political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor officially launched his political party, Jan Suraaj Party, in Patna on Wednesday. The launch event witnessed the presence of several eminent personalities and Kishor himself issued a clarion call to the people of Bihar, urging them to reclaim their pride.
In a fiery address, Kishor encouraged the audience to raise the slogan “Jai Bihar,” emphasizing the need to voice their identity with pride and resist the stigma associated with the term “Bihari.” He called on the people of Bihar to let their voices resonate across the country, from Delhi to Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Mumbai, where Bihari children have faced discrimination and harassment.
“You all need to say ‘Jai Bihar’ so loud that no one calls you and your children ‘Bihari’ as an abuse. Your voice must reach Delhi. It must reach Bengal, where students from Bihar were beaten. It must reach Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Bombay wherever Bihari children were abused and beaten,” Kishor declared.
Kishor’s remarks come in the wake of recent incidents where two individuals were arrested for harassing youths from Bihar who had traveled to Bengal’s Siliguri for examinations. Kishor seized on this to emphasize the importance of standing up against regional discrimination and injustice.
The Origins of Jan Suraaj Party
The Jan Suraaj Party originated from the “Jan Suraaj campaign,” an initiative Kishor began several years ago, during which he traveled extensively across Bihar, meeting thousands of people to gain an in-depth understanding of their struggles and issues. Kishor aimed to address the state’s political landscape, which, according to him, has been stagnant for over two decades.
“At the beginning of the Jan Suraaj campaign, it was said that an important aim is to end the political helplessness under which people have been voting for the BJP out of fear of Lalu Prasad for the last 25-30 years due to the lack of any alternative. For this, the people of Bihar need to form a better alternative,” Kishor explained during his speech on September 30. He called for a united Bihar, where the people themselves would build a new political alternative.
Sharp Criticism of Nitish Kumar and BJP
Prashant Kishor did not hold back his criticism of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleging that Kumar is no longer capable of running the state effectively. Kishor pointed out that Kumar is neither mentally nor physically fit for leadership and argued that his continued rule is a liability for the BJP.
“The BJP will suffer the same fate for backing Nitish Kumar that the Congress faced for supporting Lalu Yadav’s jungle raj. The people of Bihar completely uprooted Congress, and the BJP will face a similar outcome,” Kishor warned.
He further added that the BJP’s political compulsion is what drives its alliance with Nitish Kumar, despite knowing that his leadership might cost them future elections in Bihar.
A Call for Change
With the launch of the Jan Suraaj Party, Prashant Kishor aims to provide Bihar with a fresh political alternative, distancing the state from the traditional power dynamics that have dominated for decades. His focus on ending Bihar’s “political helplessness” and empowering its citizens suggests a radical shift in the state’s political landscape.
With the party’s launch, Kishor has positioned himself as a central figure in Bihar’s political future, sparking interest and debate on whether Jan Suraaj can truly become the alternative that Bihar has been waiting for.
