'Will Abolish Darubandi In 15 Minutes'

Prashant Kishor declares the 2025 Bihar assembly election will be a contest between his Jan Suraaj Party and the BJP-led NDA.

Prashant Kishor with former Ambassador Pawan Verma at the launch of Jan Suraaj Party

IMAGE: Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor with retired diplomat Pawan Verma at the launch of the Jan Suraaj Party at the Veterinary College grounds in Patna, October 2, 2024. All photographs: ANI Photo

The Jan Suraaj Party morphed from hype to reality on Gandhi Jayanti.

Prashant Kishor, its founder, hopes the JSP will be a game changer in next year's Bihar assembly elections challenging the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal-United, which helm the National Democratic Alliance, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress-Left parties Mahagathbandhan.

JSY leaders claimed over half a million people would attend its genesis at the Veterinary College grounds in Patna, but the low turnout failed to impress political watchers.

Prashant Kishore names Manoj Bharti as working president of Jan Suraaj Party

IMAGE: Prashant Kishor announces Manoj Bharti as the JSP's working president.

PK, as he is known in Bihar, surprised his audience when he named diplomat turned political activist Manoj Bharti as the JSP's working president.

Bharti, a former Indian Foreign Service officer and a native of Madhubani district who belongs to the Dalit community, played an important role during PK's padyatra across Bihar.

By naming Bharti JSP president, PK has sent a political massage to the Dalit community, which constitutes 19.65% of total population in the state. It is seen as PK's move to strengthen the JSP's support base ahead of the 2025 Bihar assembly polls.

Prashant Kishore with party leaders at the launch of Jan Suraaj party, at Veterinary College grounds in Patna

IMAGE: Prashant Kishor, Pawan Verma and other party leaders at the launch of the Jan Suraaj Party.

PK also declared that the JSP flag would feature both Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B R Ambedkar. This marks a change since PK has only projected Gandhi in all his messaging (banners, billboards etc).

PK aggressively played the Pride of Bihar at the JSP launch event. Bihari, he declared, would no be longer an insult, but a word of respect.

"I am appealing to people to support us to provide quality education to children and employment. People have to vote for good education of children and jobs", PK said from a specially designed wide stage which he shared with more than 100 prominent faces of his party.

The folks present at the JSP launch loudly chanted "Jai Bihar!" with raised hands whenever PK asked if they agreed with him.

Significantly, PK announced he would end prohibition in Bihar within 15 minutes if his party came to power next year. The time frame of darubandi's truncation has been trimmed from the one hour promised during his padyatra to 15 minutes.

Prashant Kishore meeting supporters at Jan Suraj Party launch

IMAGE: Prashant Kishor welcomed at the launch of the Jan Suraaj Party.

During his long speech, PK said his padyatra would continue because he wants to visit all villages in the state and reach out to people to create awareness about the JSP and its objectives.

Hundreds of youthful volunteers, mostly clad in black T-shirts and jeans, all over the ground, regularly raised different slogans, chanting Jai Bihar! to keep charging up the gathering. These volunteers, one heard, were hired and paid for their work, unlike at other mainstream political parties.

Prashant Kishore during his padyatra in Bihar

IMAGE: Prashant Kishor greets an elderly woman during the Jan Suraaj Padayatra in Vaishali, April 18 2023.

The JSP will test the waters by contesting assembly by-elections from four seats in the state to be held soon before focusing on next year's assembly polls. PK has already claimed his party will form the next government in the state, declaring the 2025 Bihar assembly elections will be a direct contest between his party and the BJP-led NDA.