Prashant Kishor’s newly-formed political party, Jan Suraaj, endured a humiliating defeat in its electoral debut during the Bihar Assembly bypolls, with all four of its candidates losing by significant margins.
The bypolls, conducted in Imamganj, Belaganj, Ramgarh, and Tarari constituencies, were intended to serve as a litmus test for Jan Suraaj, assessing its potential to challenge established political players. However, the results fell far short of expectations.
In Belaganj, Mohammad Amjad, representing Jan Suraaj, stood third, securing 17,285 votes.
The seat was won by JDU's Manorama Devi, who garnered 73,334 votes. Similarly, in Imamganj, Jitendra Paswan of Jan Suraaj finished third with 37,103 votes, while Deepa Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha emerged victorious with 53,435 votes.
The performance in Ramgarh was even more dismal, with Sushil Kumar Singh finishing fourth, polling only 6,513 votes. The BJP candidate, Ashok Kumar Singh, claimed victory with 62,257 votes.
In Tarari, Kiran Singh, the Jan Suraaj candidate, came third with 5,592 votes, as BJP's Vishal Prashant secured the seat with 78,564 votes.
The defeat is a significant setback for Kishor, who had announced the formation of Jan Suraaj on 2 October with ambitious plans to contest all 243 Assembly seats in Bihar during the 2025 state elections.
Kishor, known for his decade-long career as a successful election strategist, had positioned his party as an alternative to the entrenched political establishment in Bihar.
Kishor had spent the last two years touring the state, engaging with local communities, and building grassroots support. Despite these efforts, the party failed to make an impact in its first electoral test.
Political observers note that the established dominance of major parties like the BJP, JDU, and Hindustani Awam Morcha proved insurmountable for the nascent Jan Suraaj.
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