Prashant Kishor, Jan Suraaj Party founder, on Wednesday (April 30) said that the people of Bihar are seeking change due to the lack of improvement in core areas such as education, employment, and migration. Speaking with media today, Kishor said, "One thing is certain in Bihar: people want change. Whether they are supporters of the RJD, BJP, JDU, or belong to any caste or religion, they want change because they have seen the leaders of all parties over the last 30-35 years. There has been no progress on fundamental issues like education, employment, and migration. They see the development in other states and feel cheated."
Kishor suggested that the change is inevitable, although there may be debate on who will lead it. "There can be a debate on who will be the pioneer of change. It can be Jan Suraaj. But one thing is clear that they (people) want change," he said.
Signature campaign in Bihar by Jan Suraaj
Kishor further said that the Jan Suraaj will launch the 'Bihar Badlaav Yatra' on May 20. Ahead of the yatra, the party will begin a statewide signature campaign on May 11, targeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's credibility on key issues. "We will speak to one crore people in Bihar about Nitish Kumar's track record on three issues- the caste census, land distribution to Dalit Mahadalit families, and the land survey," Kishor said.
Jan Suraaj is set to contest its first Bihar Assembly election, expected to be held later this year. The party had earlier contested bypolls but failed to make an electoral impact. The last assembly elections were held in October-November 2020.
Prashant Kishor on Pahalgam terror attack
Kishor also condemned the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead and several injured. "Some issues are under the central government's purview, like foreign policy and national security. On matters like this, every citizen, regardless of political affiliation, stand with the government..." he said.
As many as 26 people were killed and several others were injured after terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir's (J-K) Pahalgam on April 22. Following the attack, India has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.