Prashant Kishor has introduced his first candidate: the former Vice-Chief of the Army for the Bihar bypoll seat.
The newest entrant in Bihar’s political landscape, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), announced Lt General (Retd) Krishna Singh as its first-ever candidate on Wednesday. Singh will contest the upcoming Tarari Assembly seat bypoll. Kishor and JSP working president Manoj Bharti mentioned that three other nominees would be announced soon. “Singh is only the second vice-chief of the Army from Bihar. It is a matter of pride for us that he is our candidate from Tarari, which we are looking to win and free from the land mafia,” said the JSP founder. Hailing from Karath village and residing in Noida post-retirement, Singh recently joined the JSP, drawn by the party’s “fresh ideas.” The Tarari seat, vacated by CPI(ML)L MLA Sudama Prasad after his election to the Lok Sabha from Arrah, is one of four Bihar Assembly seats, along with Ramgarh, Belaganj, and Imamganj, which will see bypolls on November 13. Since its inception post the 2008 delimitation, the Tarari seat has been a CPI(ML)L stronghold, with Prasad winning the 2015 and 2020 polls from here. Singh had an illustrious career in the Army, earning the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), and Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM). The 70-year-old veteran also served on the Armed Forces Tribunal in Delhi between 2014 and 2017, commanded the Siachen Brigade during Operation Parakram and Operation Meghdoot, the Kupwara division during Operation Rakshak, and the Corps in Ladakh during the 2009-2010 cloud bursts. While Kishor has started his political journey with a high-profile candidate like Singh, the party’s challenge remains the caste-ridden politics of the state. “Singh is an upper-caste Rajput and would definitely create a buzz among voters. But beyond the rhetoric of the JSP, the Tarari battle could boil down to the tested social arithmetic, which may not favour him. However, Singh’s entry adds a patriotic fervour to the contest,” said Arrah-based political observer Ashutosh Kumar Pandey. While an upper-caste leader, Sunil Pandey alias Narendra Kumar Pandey, who is a Bhumihar, did represent Tarari between 2010 and 2015, the combined voter base of the CPI(ML)L and RJD played a role in that.
The newest entrant in Bihar’s political landscape, Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), announced Lt General (Retd) Krishna Singh as its first-ever candidate on Wednesday. Singh will contest the upcoming Tarari Assembly seat bypoll. Kishor and JSP working president Manoj Bharti mentioned that three other nominees would be announced soon. “Singh is only the second vice-chief of the Army from Bihar. It is a matter of pride for us that he is our candidate from Tarari, which we are looking to win and free from the land mafia,” said the JSP founder.
Hailing from Karath village and residing in Noida post-retirement, Singh recently joined the JSP, drawn by the party’s “fresh ideas.” The Tarari seat, vacated by CPI(ML)L MLA Sudama Prasad after his election to the Lok Sabha from Arrah, is one of four Bihar Assembly seats, along with Ramgarh, Belaganj, and Imamganj, which will see bypolls on November 13.
Since its inception post the 2008 delimitation, the Tarari seat has been a CPI(ML)L stronghold, with Prasad winning the 2015 and 2020 polls from here. Singh had an illustrious career in the Army, earning the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), and Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM). The 70-year-old veteran also served on the Armed Forces Tribunal in Delhi between 2014 and 2017, commanded the Siachen Brigade during Operation Parakram and Operation Meghdoot, the Kupwara division during Operation Rakshak, and the Corps in Ladakh during the 2009-2010 cloud bursts.
While Kishor has started his political journey with a high-profile candidate like Singh, the party’s challenge remains the caste-ridden politics of the state. “Singh is an upper-caste Rajput and would definitely create a buzz among voters. But beyond the rhetoric of the JSP, the Tarari battle could boil down to the tested social arithmetic, which may not favour him. However, Singh’s entry adds a patriotic fervour to the contest,” said Arrah-based political observer Ashutosh Kumar Pandey.
While an upper-caste leader, Sunil Pandey alias Narendra Kumar Pandey, who is a Bhumihar, did represent Tarari between 2010 and 2015, the combined voter base of the CPI(ML)L and RJD played a role in that.
