Political analyst-turned-politician Prashant Kishor is poised to make an earlier than expected debut in Bihar’s electoral arena. The upcoming bypolls for four Assembly seats in the state are being viewed by Kishor as a key opportunity to gauge the popularity of Jan Suraaj.
Kishor, who is likely to turn Jan Suraaj into a political party on October 2, has been traveling across the state on foot and by vehicle for over two years to build momentum. His padyatra, which began on Gandhi Jayanti in 2022, has covered over 5,500 km and reached at least 18 of Bihar’s 38 districts.
Bypolls are scheduled in four Assembly seats in Bihar, including Ramgarh, Tarari, Imamganj, and Belaganj, as their MLAs were elected as MPs in the recent Lok Sabha polls. The Mahagathbandhan allies RJD and CPI(M-L) had won three of these seats in 2020, while the remaining seat was secured by NDA ally Hindustan Awami Morcha (Secular) founder Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Kishor has hinted that Jan Suraaj might contest all four bypolls and expressed hopes of securing an electoral symbol in the near future. “We see the Assembly bypolls as a great opportunity to understand where and how we are placed. Since these seats are in Magadh and Shahabad regions, it could also be a good learning experience to understand the regional dynamics of Bihar politics,” a Jan Suraaj functionary told The Indian Express.
The political strategist faced backlash from Opposition parties after announcing his intention to contest bypolls. The RJD accused him of being the “B-team” of the BJP, citing his focus on attacking the Lalu Prasad-led party and his remark on Tejashwi Yadav as “nothing more than Lalu’s son.” Kishor also took aim at Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar, saying his regime is marked by “bureaucratic jungle raj,” implying excessive reliance on bureaucrats.
Kishor has been critical of the BJP, arguing that it has allowed RSS ideology to dominate its own. During his padyatra, he has been actively engaging with Muslim voters, urging them to unite with others to counter the RSS ideology and defeat the BJP in the 2025 Assembly elections. Kishor offers a “different kind of politics” by focusing on education and employment, encouraging voters to move beyond caste and religious divisions, while promoting Bihar’s heritage as a hub of learning with his “Jay Bihar!” slogan.
“If you have a girl in your family who is conversant with social media, I can assure earnings of Rs 8,000-Rs 10,000 to each through social media and YouTube,” he said at a meeting.
Prashant Kishor started his political career as the founder and head of I-PAC, a political consultancy firm that worked on Narendra Modi’s 2014 campaign and later successfully managed campaigns for various parties. Prior to launching his own party, Kishor briefly joined the JD(U) and was appointed as vice-president by Nitish Kumar, who had returned to power in 2021.