Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Wednesday launched the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. While launching his party, Kishor made a few promises and some ambitious announcements to the gathering present at the event. He made announcements regarding the new flag of his party, right to recall for voters and a few more things.
Before the mega Jan Suraaj Party launch today, Kishor conducted padyatras for 2 long years. During his padyatras spanning over 5,000 kms, Kishor travelled across 17 districts and held gatherings in around 5,500 villages to connect with the people.
Here are some announcements that Kishor made today:
The new flag of Prashant Kishor's political outfit Jan Suraaj will feature the pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, Kishor said at the launch of his party. Ambedkar played a critical role in drafting India's constitution.
He also said that Jan Suraaj is the first political outfit in the country which is including the right to recall in its constitution. He emphasised that it will be the first political party where candidates would not be chosen by a leader or a group of leaders but by the people.
"Right to recall means that the public gave the ticket and the chosen candidate has 2 years' time. If the candidate resorts to hooliganism and corruption after getting the ticket and securing the people's vote, then, you have the right to decide what needs to be done," Kishor said.
As per the party constitution, Kishor said that the party president's tenure will last for an year and the leadership council would have a tenure lasting 2 years.
Citing the example of elections in the US, Kishor said that the two candidates -- Donald Trump and Kamala Harris -- weren't given tickets by the presidents of Republican and Democratic parties.
"The leader who wants to contest election in the US will have to announce their candidature. The leaders have the time till 6-8 months, where they get the chance to convince their party members and the public of their agenda and the one who is chosen by the public is the candidate of that party," he explained.
Prashant Kishor further said that before March 2025, the names of people from every assembly constituency who want to contest in the upcoming elections would be made public.
Jan Suraaj members and followers from various assembly constituencies would then probe the antecedants of the leaders from March-November next year. After this, whoever is selected would become the Jan Suraaj candidate from the constituencies, Kishor mentioned.
"Neither Prashant Kishor nor the party president would give the ticket. Voters of the constituency will the ticket." He added that the party has said this time and again that it does not matter whether the candidate has money power and the caste base or not.
Kishor emphasised that if the person is capable and has got the people's mandate, then, it is the responsibility of Jan Suraaj and Prashant Kishor to ensure that the person wins the elections.
Furthermore, he announced that he will not wait for the 2025 polls in the state and would settle in the Opposition by November this year itself. He also said that his party will contest the upcoming Bihar bypolls.
During his address, Kishor also announced the name of the working president of the party. He said that IITian Manoj Bharti will be the party's working president.
Born in Bihar's Madhubani, Bharti studied in Jamui and went onto do his graduation from IIT-Kanpur. Previously, Kishor had said that he does not want to become the party's leader. He also said that in January on February next year, Jan Suraaj party will release its agenda for Bihar.