Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party Will Make Its Electoral Debut in Bihar Bypolls

Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) will make its political debut in the upcoming Bihar by-elections.

On Wednesday (16 October), Kishor, alongside the party’s working president Manoj Bharti, revealed that Lieutenant General Krishna Singh (retired), a former Vice Chief of the Army Staff, would contest the Tarari by-election.

Kishor highlighted Singh’s strong credentials, noting that he is the “only Vice Chief of the Army Staff from Bihar besides the late S K Sinha.”

Singh’s candidacy, Kishor added, is a matter of pride for the constituency, which has long struggled with illegal sand mining and mafia-related issues.

At the press conference, Lt Gen Singh expressed concerns about the Agniveer scheme, particularly its four-year service contract for new recruits.

He argued that this arrangement weakens "regimentation," which is crucial for fostering long-term dedication among soldiers.

Reflecting on the Galwan Valley clash, Singh stated, “The Chinese troops had better technical knowledge, but were undone for want of spirit (jazba).”

Although he criticised the Agniveer scheme, Singh still encouraged young people to consider the Army as a career, pointing out that policies may evolve, and the scheme could be amended in the future.

Singh, who retired in 2013, hails from Tarari in Bhojpur district.

Despite living in Delhi-NCR since his retirement, he chose to return to his hometown for the by-election due to his deep emotional connection with the area.

“The respect I get there for having served in the army is something I never saw in Delhi or Noida,” he remarked.

The by-election was triggered after CPI(ML) leader Sudama Prasad, the previous MLA, won a Lok Sabha seat from Arrah.

Singh was chosen over former IPS Anand Mishra, who has spent considerable time in Tarari, giving rise to speculations that he could be JSP's candidate.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might field either Sunil Pandey, a well-known strongman from the Bhumihar community, or his son, Vishal Prashant.

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