'A great opportunity': Prashant Kishor's party Jan Suraaj may contest upcoming Bihar Assembly bypolls

Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor may enter Bihar’s electoral fray soon, as per some news reports. It is expected that he is keenly eyeing the upcoming bypolls for four Assembly seats and sees this as presenting a potential opportunity for his political outfit, Jan Suraaj. 

Kishor, who has been touring Bihar for the past two years, views the bypolls as a strategic platform to gauge his party's popularity ahead of its formal launch on October 2, reported The Indian Express.

In order to shore up his political capital, Kishor has been on a statewide padyatra, which he started on Gandhi Jayanti in 2022, covering over 5,500 kilometres on foot and reaching 18 of Bihar’s 38 districts. His outreach to the remaining districts has been by vehicle, and observers say this has solidified his presence across the state. With by-elections due in Ramgarh, Tarari, Imamganj, and Belaganj — seats vacated by MLAs who were elected as MPs in the recent Lok Sabha polls — Kishor’s Jan Suraaj is considering contesting all four seats.

"We see the Assembly bypolls as a great opportunity to understand where and how we are placed," a Jan Suraaj functionary told The Indian Express. "Since these seats are in the Magadh and Shahabad regions, it could also be a good learning experience to grasp the regional dynamics of Bihar politics."

It is interesting to note that these four constituencies have been strongholds for Bihar's ruling Mahagathbandhan allies. The RJD secured Ramgarh and Belaganj in 2020, while CPI(M-L) won in Tarari. Hindustan Awami Morcha (HAM), led by NDA ally Jitan Ram Manjhi, took Imamganj. Kishor hopes to secure an electoral symbol soon as Jan Suraaj prepares for its political debut.

Kishor’s electoral ambitions have not gone unnoticed and the criticism, so far, has largely come from anti-BJP parties, particularly the RJD, which has accused him of being a "B-team of the BJP." RJD leaders have pointed out Kishor’s consistent attacks on their party, including his frequent dismissal of Tejashwi Yadav as merely "Lalu Prasad’s son." Kishor, in turn, has accused Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of running a "bureaucratic jungle raj" while denouncing the Lalu-Rabri regime as "administrative jungle raj."

Most importantly, observers note that Kishor has tried to portray himself as not only an outsider but also as a credible alternative to both Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad's RJD.

But, Kishor has been equally hard on the BJP, accusing the party of allowing RSS ideology to dominate its agenda. During his padyatra, he has made efforts to reach out to Muslim voters, urging them to unite against the RSS’s influence and defeat the BJP in the 2025 Assembly elections.

Positioning himself as an advocate for "different politics," Kishor has tried to appeal to voters by focusing on what electoral observers call 'rozi roti,' ie education and jobs, encouraging them to look beyond caste and religion. Importantly, he has also been invoking the idea of Bihari pride by trying to recall the region's historic significance as a centre of learning, using the slogan "Jay Bihar!" 

Also a closer look at some of his speeches show Kishor trying to use a more aspirational narrative to draw young voters to him.

"If you have a girl in your family who knows social media, I can assure earnings of Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 through platforms like YouTube," he said at a recent rally.