Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Bihar political circles are agog over Prashant Kishor’s next move. After his fall out with the Congress, P K’s contemplating floating a new outfit — the Jan Suraaj Party — from Bihar, also his home state.The poll strategist is already meeting social activists and members of civil society. On Monday, he met noted RTI activist Shiv Prakash Rai and is due to interact with several others before the launch of his outfit, possibly in June. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has welcomed P K’s decision to enter active politics. “Bihar is in dire need of leaders who can work above caste considerations,” he said.
Sources close to P K said the proposed outfit will attract retired civil servants, police officers, economists, public-policy-makers, academics and many professionals from across the country. “He is in touch with his sympathisers. The suspense over his next move will likely end on May 5 in Patna where he would be sharing his plan for making a new beginning,” said a source close to the poll strategist.On Monday, P K caused a ripple in political circles with a tweet saying his quest was for a meaningful participation in democracy.
Many observers who have closely watched P K’s poll management since 2014 say if he does not float a new outfit in the next few months, he may certainly launch a massive campaign ‘Jan Suraaj’ as a prelude to a new party. He had launched a campaign called ‘Baat Bihar Ki’ years ago through which he prepared a big database on voters.
“He has a mega database of voters. Over 40 million people have joined him through his I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) from more than 42,000 villages. He is well equipped to deal with issues concerning the youth and caste-configuration,” said a source who has worked with him.BJP’s national general secretary in-charge of OBC Morcha, Dr Nikhil Aanad, said P K’s proposed party would be nothing but a “political shop”. “He is neither a socialist, nor an economist, nor a activist, nor a political scientist. However, he has a political ambition for which he works,” he said.
