Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj Movement to Field Women Candidates in Every Bihar Lok Sabha Constituency for 2025 Assembly Election

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor, known for spearheading the Jan Suraj Padayatra in Bihar, announced on Monday that his movement plans to field at least one woman candidate in every Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar for the 2025 Assembly election. This bold initiative aims to elect more than 40 women as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in the next Bihar Assembly. Bihar, with its 40 Lok Sabha constituencies, has never seen such a high representation of women in its legislative body.

Kishor emphasized the necessity of empowering women within Bihar’s political framework, asserting that simply offering reservations or forming women’s organizations is not enough. Jan Suraj is dedicated to identifying and nurturing capable women leaders in every district of Bihar. He pointed out that no political party in the state’s history has ever had 30 women MLAs, but Jan Suraj is determined to exceed this by electing 40 women legislators.

“I proposed that every district should ensure at least one woman candidate is given an opportunity under the Jan Suraj banner. If there are two deserving women leaders in a district, both will be promoted,” Kishor stated. This approach is a key element of his strategy to engage with and mobilize the female population of Bihar by ensuring substantial representation in the Assembly.

This announcement comes as part of Kishor’s broader plan to formally launch a political party on October 2, with the intent to contest the Bihar Assembly elections next year. Through Jan Suraj, he aims to position himself as a formidable challenger to the state’s three dominant political forces: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal (United) [JD(U)], and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

However, JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha was quick to dismiss Kishor’s statement about fielding women candidates, remarking that Kishor is not a political leader but rather someone who runs an agency. Kushwaha commented, “When any political leader says something, then I can reply to it, but Prashant Kishor is not a leader. He runs an agency, so I don’t want to comment on him.”

Kushwaha’s remarks underscore the JD(U)’s skepticism regarding Kishor’s political ambitions, downplaying his potential influence and credibility in the state’s political landscape.