Jan Suraaj Party: Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor officially launched his much-anticipated political outfit, Jan Suraaj Party, on Wednesday. The launch event was held at Veterinary College Ground in Bihar's capital Patna. The event saw the presence of several prominent figures, including former Union Minister Devendra Prasad Yadav, diplomat-turned-politician Pavan Varma, and ex-MP Monazir Hassan. Kishor also announced the appointment of Manoj Bharti as the working president of the party. He also stated that Bharti will hold the position until March 2025, when internal organisational elections will take place.
Who is Manoj Bharti?
Manoj Bharti, who was born in Madhubani, has a notable academic and diplomatic background. He completed his early education in Jamui before earning his degree from IIT-Kanpur, followed by an MTech from IIT Delhi. Bharti has had a distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service, serving as India's ambassador to several countries, including Ukraine, Belarus, Timor-Leste, and Indonesia. Before his role as ambassador to Timor-Leste, he held the position of secretary-administration in the Ministry of External Affairs. Bharti also served as the ambassador to Ukraine from September 2015 to October 2018. He also represented India in Myanmar, Turkiye, Nepal, the Netherlands, and Iran.
What did Prashant Kishor say?
Announcing Bharti's appointment, Prashant Kishor stated, "Our party has been established in Bihar. We have already made it clear that we do not seek any positions. The interim state president has been chosen from the Dalit community. We did not select a Dalit president merely because he is Dalit but we chose him because he is capable. In Jan Suraaj, positions are not awarded based on caste but on experience and competence."
Prashant Kishor floats Jan Suraaj Party
At the launch event, Kishor said that the party has been active for the past two years and recently received approval from the Election Commission of India. It should be noted here that the party was floated exactly two years after Kishor had embarked on a more than 3,000-km-long 'padayatra' of the state, from Champaran where Mahatma Gandhi had launched the first Satyagraha in the country, in a bid to mobilise the people for a "new political alternative" that could cure Bihar of its chronic backwardness.
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