Patna, India – In a significant development ahead of the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, Prashant Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), has announced that he will not be contesting the polls. Kishor, a former political strategist, stated that this decision was made to allow him to focus on strengthening the party organization and ensuring its success in the long run.
"I will not contest Bihar assembly polls; will work to strengthen Jan Suraaj party," Kishor told reporters. He emphasized that his primary goal is to build a strong foundation for the party, enabling it to make a significant impact in Bihar and beyond. Kishor added that he believes a substantial victory in Bihar is crucial for making a nationwide impact. He asserted that anything less than 150 seats for his party would be considered a defeat.
Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party has already released its initial candidate lists for the upcoming elections. The first list, revealed on October 9, contained 51 candidates, followed by a second list of 65 candidates on October 13. These candidates come from diverse backgrounds, including public representatives from Panchayati Raj institutions and various professionals. Notably, the second list allocated at least 14 seats to candidates from Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), including four from the Muslim community, with the aim of representing Pasmanda Muslims. More recently, the JSP has also fielded candidates from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) groups from general seats.
While Kishor himself will not be contesting, his party has already named a candidate for the Raghopur seat, Chanchal Singh, a local businessman formerly associated with the Janata Dal (United) and currently the vice president of the JSP's youth wing. Raghopur is considered a stronghold of Lalu Prasad Yadav's family, making it a key constituency to watch. Kishor had launched JSP's election campaign from Raghopur, triggering speculation of a potential face-off between himself and Tejashwi Yadav.
In addition to its candidate selection, the Jan Suraaj Party has also made key policy announcements. One of the most prominent is the promise to lift the liquor ban imposed in Bihar in 2016 if the party comes to power. Kishor's party argues that the prohibition has resulted in a significant annual revenue loss of approximately ₹28,000 crore for the state, hindering its development. The JSP proposes to balance revenue recovery with international loans to boost the state's economic growth.
Meanwhile, other political developments are unfolding in Bihar. Cracks appear to be emerging within the NDA alliance, with reports of dissatisfaction over seat-sharing arrangements. Senior BJP leaders have met with Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha, who has expressed his discontent and plans to discuss the issues further with Amit Shah in Delhi. In contrast, Chirag Paswan, National President of Lok Janshakti Party, has stated that the NDA alliance is united and prepared for the Bihar elections. The Congress party is also finalizing its list of candidates and claims to have reached a broad consensus on seat-sharing within the INDIA bloc.
The Bihar Assembly elections are scheduled for November 6 and November 11, with the vote count to be held on November 14. A total of 122 seats are required for a majority in the 243-seat Assembly. As the election approaches, all eyes will be on the Jan Suraaj Party and its performance, as well as the dynamics within the NDA and INDIA blocs.
