Bypolls: Jan Suraaj to contest all 4 seats

PATNA: Politics in state is set to change with Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor (PK) announcing his intention to test electoral waters in the four assembly constituencies – Tarari, Ramgarh, Imamganj and Belaganj – where byelections would be held in November.

The BJP has launched a membership drive while RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav’s “Abhaar Yatra” begins September 10. The seats in question are in central-south Bihar, where the RJD-led Grand Alliance fared well in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

PK, who has been on a ‘padyatra’ for two years, will officially launch Jan Suraaj as a political party on October 2. “If we win all four assembly seats, the 2025 poll results will be decided in 2024 itself,” PK told a group of people in Ara on Monday. He criticised both RJD chief Lalu Prasad and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, saying that there was a “jungle raj of organised crime” during Lalu’s regime and a “jungle raj of bureaucrats” during Nitish’s rule.

The RJD labels PK as the ‘B’ team of the BJP, but his growing influence is causing concern among state parties. RJD state president Jagadanand Singh recently warned against joining Jan Suraaj, signalling potential challenges. PK’s padyatra has been gaining traction on social media and among those he interacts, seeking a change in the system for better education and employment in Bihar.

“People trust Tejashwi, who is now an established leader. Those joining Jan Suraaj are past their prime and ‘expired drugs having no benefits’. Why would people trust PK, who has done nothing for Bihar so far? Being a poll strategist is one thing and winning people’s blessings is quite different,” RJD’s state general secretary and spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari said.

Newly appointed JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad also dismissed PK’s impact and said the poll strategist succeeded because he had got assignments from leaders of great stature like PM Narendra Modi and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. “PK’s challenge to politicians and political parties working in people’s domain for over the last two decades is very dwarf. He has a big challenge of establishing himself as a political face in Bihar where he has done nothing for its people so far,” Prasad told this newspaper on Tuesday.

Despite this, PK remains optimistic. “When I started the padyatra, hardly anyone knew Jan Suraaj. Now, at least 4-5 out of 10 people in every village know about us. Even if 3 out of 10 people join us, Jan Suraaj will sweep the polls as Modi and his party only received 31% of the votes despite a wave in his favor in 2014. I still have more than a year and Jan Suraaj will be seen everywhere in the next six months,” PK told the audience.