Prashant Kishor will not contest, Jan Suraaj leader puts hand up for Tejashwi seat

PK had hinted earlier was looking at Raghopur as possible debut seat. Party calculates that Jan Suraaj founder staying out best for now

$He made the averment when asked whether his party would like to support the NDA or the INDIA bloc if the elections threw a hung assembly, terming a fractured mandate as an impossibility.$ He made the averment when asked whether his party would like to support the NDA or the INDIA bloc if the elections threw a hung assembly, terming a fractured mandate as an impossibility. (File)

Prashant Kishor announced Wednesday that he would not be contesting in the Bihar elections, after earlier indicating that he was considering jumping into the fray.

Speaking to PTI, the founder of the Jan Suraaj said, “The party has decided that I should concentrate on organisational work and not contest.”

Earlier, on Tuesday evening, Jan Suraaj leader Chanchal Singh put up a post on social media, thanking the party for a ticket from the Raghopur seat, virtually putting to rest speculation that Kishor may contest from the Lalu Prasad family bastion.

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The seat did not figure in the two candidate lists announced by the Jan Suraaj so far.

“Thankful and grateful to the top leadership and the Jan Suraaj family for choosing me as the Assembly candidate from the 128 Raghopur Assembly constituency. I appeal to the people of the region to grant their love and blessings,” Chanchal posted on his Facebook page.

Kishor had earlier mentioned that if he were to contest, it would either be from Raghopur or Kargahar, his home constituency. The Karaghar ticket went to another party leader in the Jan Suraaj’s October 9 list.

A Jan Suraaj source said that the party had weighed all options before taking the call for Kishor not to contest. “Had Kishor contested, the entire organisational machinery would have had to focus its energy on the seat. Also, he didn’t want to get caught up in the backward-forward narrative, which the Opposition might have tried to build in case he (a Brahmin) contested against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who is set to file his nomination from Raghopur.”

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The Jan Suraaj leader also pointed out that a loss in the polls would have meant a big setback for ‘Brand Prashant Kishor’, who has built his USP around being part of successful political campaigns.

Located on the banks of the Ganga, just 30 km from the RJD headquarters in Patna, Raghopur in Vaishali district is a Yadav-dominated constituency and a long-time RJD stronghold.

Except between 2010 and 2015, when the JD(U) held the seat, Raghopur has remained with Lalu’s family, since his victory from here in 1995. Tejashwi has won it the last two times.

What had further fuelled speculation regarding Kishor’s plans was roadshow in Raghopur last Saturday, marking virtually the start of the Jan Suraaj campaign.

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