look news india
If you look at the politics of Bihar, for years only two big players are visible – on the one hand, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s NDA alliance, and on the other hand, the RJD-led opposition. There has always been competition between these two. But this time, the story of the elections in November may be a little different. This time a third force is also in the field, which is making the whole game interesting, and its name is ‘Jan Suraj Party’ (JSP).
The face behind this party does not need any identity in the corridors of politics – Prashant Kishore, who is known as ‘PK’. PK, who had been making election strategies for big parties of the country for almost 10 years and helping them win, has now himself entered the electoral fray. After completing his 3000 km long padayatra last year, he launched his party on 2 October 2024.
Does Jan Suraj Party have anything new?
This party has emerged as a new option for crores of voters of Bihar who want something different from the traditional politics of BJP-JDU and RJD. For the last 25-30 years, power in Bihar has revolved around these two alliances.
Prashant Kishor is promising to change the political system of Bihar on the basis of his past experiences. His main focus is good governance and employment to the youth, so that the youth of Bihar do not have to migrate to other states for jobs. This is the most painful vein of Bihar, because as much as this state is aware in politics, it also suffers the pain of migration.
JSP has also tried to show newness in its list of candidates. Among their 239 candidates, preference has been given to doctors, engineers, lawyers and educated people instead of elderly leaders. The average age of the candidates is close to 50 years, which shows that the party is running with experience and youthful enthusiasm.
Has this happened before in politics?
It is not a new thing for a new party to come and change politics. There are many such examples in history:
- Telugu Desam Party (TDP): Film superstar NT Rama Rao formed this party on the slogan of ‘Telugu Swabhiman’ and won the hearts of people by conducting Rath Yatra across Andhra Pradesh.
- Assam Gana Parishad (AGP): The students of Assam launched a movement and came directly to power by winning the elections in 1985.
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP): Born out of the movement against corruption in 2012, this party ousted Congress from Delhi politics and set a new example.
Now Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj Party is also dreaming of doing something similar in Bihar. PK understands the ins and outs of politics because he has seen the strengths and weaknesses of many parties very closely. His party is betting on youth who are disappointed with the current options.
Now the biggest question is whether Prashant Kishor will prove to be the new NTR or Arvind Kejriwal for Bihar?