Can Jan Suraaj Truly Transform Bihar?
Dear Prashant Kishor,
As a Bihari by birth, now settled in Mumbai for over four decades, my connection to Bihar remains deep and unbreakable. My mother, siblings, extended family, and friends still call Bihar home, and my frequent visits keep me tethered to its pulse. Yet, my recent trip to Patna left me with a heavy heart, encapsulated in a single word: disappointment. The social, economic, and political stagnation I witnessed in the state I love was stark, and conversations with family, friends, and ordinary Biharis only deepened my concern. Amid this, I met members and supporters of your Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), including one of its top-ranking functionaries, and observed your campaign’s presence. While your ambition to reshape Bihar’s political landscape is undeniable, I write this open letter to seek clarity and challenge your vision, drawing from my firsthand experiences and the broader discourse surrounding your party.
From Strategist to Leader: A Leap of Faith or a Calculated Risk?
Your transition from a master political strategist to the face of Jan Suraaj is bold. Having orchestrated victories for titans like Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, and Mamata Banerjee, your credentials are formidable. Your 3,000-km padyatra, launched on October 2, 2022, from Bhitiharwa Gandhi Ashram, and the formal establishment of JSP on October 2, 2024, signal a commitment to grassroots engagement. Yet, as a Bihari (by birth), I question whether this shift from backroom strategist to frontline leader can translate into electoral trust, especially among Bihar’s poor, marginalized, and vulnerable communities.
Your past associations with parties across the ideological spectrum—BJP, JD(U), AAP, TMC—raise eyebrows. How can voters, particularly those from oppressed and minority groups, trust someone who has worked with both the BJP, accused of polarizing politics, and the RJD, rooted in caste-based mobilization? Your brief stint as JD(U)’s national vice-president (2018-2020), ending in expulsion over your criticism of Nitish Kumar’s CAA stance, adds to perceptions of opportunism. Why should Bihar’s voters, especially those scarred by decades of casteism and communalism, see you as a credible alternative rather than a political chameleon?
The Caste Conundrum: Can You Transcend Bihar’s Deepest Divide?
Bihar’s politics is a labyrinth of caste loyalties. The RJD commands Yadav and Muslim votes, JD(U) courts EBCs, and the BJP appeals to upper castes and some OBCs. Your Brahmin background, while granting cultural capital among upper castes, risks alienating the backward castes, Dalits, and Muslims who form the state’s electoral backbone. Critics, like RJD’s Misa Bharti, have accused you of masking your “Pandey” surname to downplay your upper-caste identity, branding JSP as the “BJP’s B-team.”
Your appointment of Manoj Bharti, a Dalit and former diplomat, as JSP’s working president is a strategic move toward inclusivity. Your emphasis on proportional representation based on Bihar’s caste survey—promising “jiski jitni aabadi, uski utni hissedari” (representation proportional to population)—is a nod to social justice. Yet, the absence of a prominent Muslim face other than one light weight Vice President of the party and your PA, and the shift from promising a Dalit national president to appointing Rajput Uday Singh have sparked skepticism. How do you plan to convince marginalized communities that JSP is not just another upper-caste-led experiment? What concrete steps will you take to ensure representation for Muslims, EBCs, and non-Paswan Dalits, who remain wary of your intentions?
The Agenda Question: Where’s the Roadmap for Transformation?
Your speeches emphasize education, employment, and systemic change, symbolized by JSP’s “school bag” election symbol. Your pledge to lift Bihar’s liquor ban within an hour to fund education with ₹20,000 crore in annual revenue is bold, but controversial. You’ve promised ₹5 lakh crore over a decade to overhaul education, land reforms to address Bihar’s 60% landless population, and low-interest loans for women entrepreneurs. These are ambitious, but I found little clarity on how you plan to achieve them. Your “people’s manifesto” tailored to panchayat-specific issues is innovative, but it risks being perceived as a technocratic gimmick in a state where emotional appeals often trump policy.
Bihar’s voters, battered by decades of unfulfilled promises, are skeptical. They see parallels with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, which won five seats in 2020 by targeting Muslim voters, and Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, which disrupted Delhi’s urban politics. But Bihar is not Delhi, and JSP’s data-driven, corporate-style campaign—modeled on your I-PAC legacy—feels alien in a rural, caste-conscious state. What is your detailed roadmap for transforming Bihar’s education, employment, and infrastructure? How will you address the migration crisis that forces millions of Bihari youth to toil in distant cities? And how do you counter the perception that JSP is a polished startup rather than a people’s movement?
Trust and Transparency: Addressing the Funding Fog
The scale of JSP’s campaign—padyatra logistics, youth clubs in thousands of panchayats, and a robust digital strategy—suggests significant resources. Yet, the lack of transparency about your funding sources fuels suspicion. Critics speculate corporate or external backing, given your businessman persona and I-PAC’s high-budget campaigns. As a Bihari, I echo the former CPI(ML) legislator’s demand: “Voters deserve to know who’s behind a party that claims to be clean and reformist.” Why haven’t you disclosed a donor list or audit trail? How will you assure voters that JSP is free from the influence of the same power structures you claim to challenge?
Vote-Splitter or Game-Changer? The Electoral Arithmetic
Your bypoll performance in November 2024—10% vote share across four seats but no wins—hints at JSP’s potential to disrupt Bihar’s bipolar contest. With 54 seats in 2020 and 40 in 2015 decided by margins under 5,500 votes, JSP’s projected 5,000-6,000 votes per candidate could sway 15-20% of the 243 seats. In Imamganj and Belaganj, JSP’s votes exceeded victory margins, suggesting you could dent the RJD’s Yadav-Muslim base or JD(U)’s EBC support. Yet, your claim that JSP’s fight is against the NDA, not the Mahagathbandhan, feels inconsistent when your votes indirectly aid the BJP-led alliance.
You’ve dismissed the “vote-cutter” label, asserting JSP is an alternative, not a spoiler. But with no clear vote bank—unlike Owaisi’s targeted Muslim appeal or Kejriwal’s urban anti-corruption wave—how will you convert admiration into votes? Your bold prediction that Nitish Kumar won’t be CM after November and that JD(U) won’t win over 25 seats is a high-stakes gamble. If JSP secures even 5-10 seats, you could be a kingmaker in a hung assembly. But what is your strategy to consolidate a diverse voter base in a state where caste and loyalty often outweigh governance promises?
The Bihari Heart: A Personal Plea
As a Bihari (by birth and upbringing) , my disappointment stems from decades of broken promises—by Lalu Prasad’s RJD, Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), and the BJP’s hollow rhetoric. Your padyatra’s focus on villages, youth clubs, and hyper-local manifestos resonates with my hope for a new Bihar. Yet, the skepticism I encountered in Patna—from rickshaw pullers, auto and cab drivers, common man on the street, to students—mirrors my own. They admire your energy but question your motives, given your elite background and opaque funding. They see another Owaisi or Kejriwal—charismatic but untested in Bihar’s brutal electoral arena.
Your call to vote for “rozgar, not jaati” is inspiring, but Bihar’s voters are pragmatic. They want tangible assurances—jobs for their children, schools that function, and leaders they can trust. Your arrest during the BPSC protest and injury at a roadshow show your willingness to confront the system, but they also highlight the risks of your high-profile style. How will you build trust among rural voters who see you as an outsider? How will you ensure JSP’s cadre—many of whom are paid workers, as critics allege—reflects the people’s will rather than a top-down corporate machine?
The Road Ahead: 2025 or 2030?
It’s widely speculated that 2030, not 2025, is JSP’s true target, with the upcoming election a stepping stone to establish presence. Your Tamil Nadu advisory role with TVK hints at a broader vision, but Bihar is your crucible. As October’s polls approach, your padyatra continues, echoing across Bihar’s fields. But admiration alone won’t suffice. You must address the caste conundrum, clarify your roadmap, and transparentize your funding to win the Bihari heart.
Bihar deserves better than its current stagnation. Your vision of a caste-neutral, governance-focused future is tantalizing, but it demands more than slogans and data. Can you deliver a concrete plan to transform education, curb migration, and empower the marginalized? Can you convince voters that JSP is not just another flash in the pan but a genuine movement for change? As a Bihari by birth, I want to believe in Jan Suraaj, but the burden of proof lies with you.
Yours sincerely,
~Hasnain Naqvi, Former member of the history faculty at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and
A Concerned Bihari by birth.
PS: This letter reflects the author’s observations and concerns, informed by interactions in Patna and analysis of Jan Suraaj’s campaign. It seeks to hold Prashant Kishor accountable to the aspirations of Bihar’s people.
Thanks and Regards
