Prashant Kishor Makes Official Entry In Bihar Politics With Jan Suraaj Ahead Of Assembly Polls

Jan Suraaj Party was launched during a public event in the Veterinary College Ground in Patna in presence of former Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav, Pavan Varma and former MP Monazir Hassan.

Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Wednesday officially launched Jan Suraaj Party, making a debut in the political landscape of Bihar a year ahead of the scheduled assembly polls. 

Kishor also named Manoj Bharti, a Madhubani-born former Indian Foreign Service Officer, as working president of the party, saying that Bharti will hold the post till March when organisational polls will be held.

The party was launched during a public event in the Veterinary College Ground in Patna in presence of many renowned figures, including former Union minister Devendra Prasad Yadav, diplomat-turned-politician Pavan Varma and former MP Monazir Hassan.

The formation of the political party comes exactly two years after Kishor had embarked on a more than 3,000-km-long 'padayatra' of the state, from Champaran where Mahatma Gandhi had launched the first Satyagraha in the country, in a bid to mobilise the people for a "new political alternative" that could cure Bihar of its chronic backwardness.

Speaking on the occasion, the I-PAC founder, said, "Jan Suraaj has been a campaign aimed at making the people of Bihar understand that they have not been able to get quality education and job opportunities because they have never voted on these issues. We may be mocked by cynics who will say how will we fulfil promises like putting an end to migration. But we have a blueprint." 

 "If Bihar has to have a world-class education system, Rs 5 lakh crore is needed in the next 10 years. When the liquor ban will be removed, that money won't go into the budget and will not be used for the security of leaders, nor it will be used for roads, water and electricity. That will be used only for building a new education system in Bihar. Every year, Bihar is facing a loss of Rs 20,000 crore due to the liquor ban," Kishor said. 

He also said that the party would compel banks to make available a proportion of savings deposited by the people. 

"We do not need empty slogans of special status. But we will compel banks to make available to the state capital in proportion to savings deposited by its people. At present, it seems money saved by Biharis is being put to use elsewhere," Kishor added.