Bihar is considered the fulcrum of Indian politics, and still, after 23 CMs, not even a single party has restored the lost glory of Bihar. With broken hopes and shattered dreams, we move towards another series of campaigns, promises, and lies, but this time with a new party and new approach—the Jan Suraj Party, led by the so-called king-maker of India, Prashant Kishore.
With its extensive Padyatra involving a new approach to campaigning focused on addressing local issues, they have made headlines for many good reasons. But even the most glimmering banners carry a shade of grey, as no political party remains untouched by shadow.
So, is this the party that will end Bihar’s marathon of downfall, or is it just another political party that raises the bar of hope so high that when common people fall, they can’t even feel anything? Let’s find out through this blog post.
Unlucky Bihar
Bihar has long borne the weight of negligence and has been unlucky in terms of policies, leadership, and guidance. When Nitish trimmed the 15 years of Lalu’s “Jungle Raj”, everyone thought it was time for Bihar to rise and shine, and it did, but only for 5 years.
Soon, Bihar’s glowing future was wrapped in the wrinkles of weak governance. For the next 10 years, Bihar didn’t return to its days of “Jungle Raj”, rather, it was left stranded on the road with no option to move forward or backward.
Because of Nitish Kumar’s stellar debut, many political gurus began calling him the next PM of India, but then everything came to a halt. In the next 10 years of Nitish Kumar’s rule, Bihar didn’t see even a single inch of improvement, as all it witnessed was Nitish changing parties and doing everything politically laughable to remain on the throne.
As we move forward to another assembly election, Nitish Kumar remains at the helm as chief minister, while a brand new party enters the arena- Jan Suraj Party, proudly worn as a badge by the rising star, Prashant Kishore.
Although new parties in the Bihar assembly election are not entirely out of the ordinary, it is Prashant Kishore’s background that is gaining traction in the political realm and winning trust among the voters.
But to know the strategy of an army, one should dig into the characteristics of its leader, and that’s what we are going to do here.
The Big Question: “Prashant Kishore Kaun Hai”
Although Prashant Kishore has been involved in the political scene for the past 14 years, most people are still unfamiliar with him. During these 14 years, he has worked on numerous election campaigns and helped secure victories for many politicians. It was only in 2024 that he stepped into the spotlight as the leader of Jan Suraj Party.
Here is a list of politicians he has worked with:
- Narendra Modi
- Mamta Banajree
- Arvind Kejriwal
- Lalu Prasad Yadav
- Nitish Kumar and many more
From the famous Narendra Modi campaign to Arvind Kejriwal’s clean sweep, Prashant Kishore has been behind many historic political wins. Yes, the list might look like a political fairy tale, but that’s how strong Prashant Kishore’s background is. All these politicians have climbed the strategic ladder built by Prashant Kumar to reach the throne.
However, just because he is good at strategy, planning, election campaigns, and everything involved in winning an election doesn’t mean his party will be fair to the people of Bihar as well. That’s why it becomes necessary to fathom what Jan Suraj is, its motive, and how people have perceived it, considering whether it is worth the hype or not.
Jan Suraj Party – Formation and Ideology
Although Prashant Kishore was a kingmaker and the man behind many successful political campaigns but he was out of the reach of common people. This is why Prashant Kishore knew he couldn’t just gather people and form a party; he needed to build a base. He began groundwork on 2nd October 2022 with a Padayatra that commenced from Gandhi Ashram, Bhitiharwa, West Champaran.
Padyatra of 2024
The Aim of the Padyatra was simple;
- Finding capable people in society and giving them a chance to lead
- Delving into the real problems and preparing a blueprint for development
- Finding real problems to key issues by discussing them with experts
An important part of this Padyatra was the PK Youth Club, which provided training to the youth to get a democratic platform through the Panchayat Raj System. It was a masterstroke, as before even forming a government, he wanted a base of youth that would be properly trained and experienced in the political system to build the foundation of the Jan Suraj Party.
Also, Panchayat Raj would later become an integral part of the party’s motive of local governance.
Party’s Formation
On 2nd October 2024, Prashan Kishore officially announced the formation of Jan Suraj Party. The initial name of the party was Suraj, but it was later changed to Jan Suraj. Here is the logic behind the party’s name, according to Prashant Kishore
“The initial name of the party was Suraj, which means good governance. We got Swaraj for India in 1947, but it’s time for Suraj now. Any government that lives up to people’s expectations and never lets their hope fade away is called Suraj. And that’s what translates to Jan Suraj: a government according to the people or people’s good governance.
Jan Suraj Party also works on the principle that a society can’t be changed by a single person but by the collective effort of people from within the society. They have the working principle of the right people, right thinking, and collective effort.
The one thing you must have noticed is that both the commencement of Padyatra and the official announcement of Jan Suraj Party were done on 2nd October, and for obvious reasons.
Working on the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi is not anything new for a political party in India. But implementing it after forming a government can make a difference.
Jan Suraj Party relies on these principles of Mahatma Gandhi:
- Satya
- Ahimna
- Self-sufficient villages,
- Decentralized power, and
- Peaceful resistance
Jan Suraj Party -The Journey So Far
It has been almost three years since Prashant Kishore began working for the party. In these three years, he has covered 5000+ villages. But he has used a completely different approach in his campaign.
No Political Extravaganza
There were no gigantic gatherings and no heroic speeches from mammoth stages. He kept everything simple. There were small gatherings where one-to-one communication was preferred over speeches. Instead of calling people to where he would be present, he visited the places where people were present, like schools, local markets, hospitals, and homes.
This was something refreshing for the common people. People in Bihar are accustomed to big stars of the political system landing in the vast field with their helicopters, sweeping dust, and overshadowing the hope of common people. This further led to a giant stage from where leaders resembled Roman emperors and common people as gladiators fighting every day for a better life.
However, this was not the end as the speeches were well-written by people with exceptional degrees and experiences, and that’s what made it lose the touch of personalization. For the common people, it was like listening to the monologue of a hero from a movie who is going to change everything in the world.
Raising the real issues
During the one-on-one conversation, Prashant Kishore would always note down the issues in a notebook, which made people believe that something would be done. Also, he targeted the real issues that the common people face, like;
- The majority of Bihari youth working outside Bihar and dealing with humiliation.
- The crumbling healthcare system with vacant hospitals and rotten beds.
- An uneducated education system with understaffed schools
- Government welfare schemes that disappear before reaching the people.
Bihar is fed up with leaders offering big promises packed in giant gift boxes. Aid of 1.25 lakh crores, Bihar sitting on the lotus of growth; all these promises are bigger and look far-fetched for a person who struggles to arrange two meals a day for his family.
This is where Prashant Kishore harnessed the power of personalization. He asked people about the problems they face in their daily lives, not crores of rupees in the form of aid to Bihar. This is why so many people can connect with him.
Jan Suraj Party – The Other Side
Members
Choosing the right members from the society is one of the pillars of Jan Suraj Party, but the recent choices have made it to the headlines for bad reasons only. Choosing Manish Kashyap (the once loud media reporter) and Ramadhar Singh (a social worker who once contested for vidhayak of Shreghati).
Now, everyone knows about Manish Kashyap and how shamelessly he joined the BJP. Before becoming a BJP member, he used to rip the BJP right and left during his loud reporting days. But he lost his fact sheet somewhere en route to becoming a BJP member. His sudden shifts and making it to the headlines for the wrong reasons raise serious doubts about his loyalty and intent to serve society.
The second member, Ramadhar Singh, is in the limelight after joining the Jan Suraj Party because of this reel
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLb7N5-P9FZ/?igsh=MWJpd3R6b3FqbW1xZQ==
But judging a person on just a single reel where he is seen sitting and watching the so-called “chauki dance” or “orchestra” isn’t fair because that’s common in Bihar. Just because a person has watched an orchestra doesn’t mean he can’t be a good leader. If that were the case, politicians with so many police cases wouldn’t have been leading society.
The student protest
Another strong pillar of Jan Suraj Party, which Prashant Kishore has violated, is non-violence and peace, and it was during the BPSC protest row.
First, watch this video
In this video, it seems like there is some issue related to the distribution of blankets, but that’s not the case. It is the tone in which Prashant Kishore is talking to BPSC students who have already suffered a lot. He can be seen saying “nasa dhila kar denge,” and the PK’s supporter can be seen threatening students and teaching them how to behave.
Well, this is not something new in Bihar as political parties are known for their “Gundaraj” right from the reign of RJD. But such a thing coming from a party that considers Gandhi and non-violence is something strange.
Jan Suraj Party has a new approach to election campaigning, and so far it has helped it to connect with the common people on the ground level. From preferring listening over lecture to the promise of removing the Bihar liquor ban, many positive aspects of Jan Suraj must be considered.
Also, the selection of two members and the BPSC protest incident raise eyebrows regarding the approach of the Jan Suraj Party. But overall, Jan Suraj Party has formed a new bond with the people of Bihar, and looking at the history of RJD, the current approach of JDU, big promises of BJP, Jan Suraj Party might be considered by common people for a better future.
