Bihar Polls: Prashant Kishor planning to field woman candidate in every LS segment

Patna, Aug 12 (IANS) Poll strategist Prashant Kishor, the face behind the Jan Suraj Padayatra in Bihar, said 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. 

He claimed that Jan Suraj aims to get more than 40 women MLAs in the next Bihar Assembly election. Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha constituencies.

Kishor emphasized the importance of empowering women in Bihar's political landscape, stating that merely promising reservations or forming women’s organizations is not sufficient. Instead, Jan Suraj is committed to identifying and promoting capable women leaders in each district of Bihar. He highlighted that no party in Bihar's history has had 30 women MLAs, but Jan Suraj is determined to surpass that number with 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,” he said.

Prashant Kishor’s announcement is part of his broader strategy to engage with and mobilize half of the population—women—by promising to give them significant representation.

This initiative is aligned with his plan to formally launch a political party on October 2, with the goal of contesting the Bihar assembly elections next year. Through Jan Suraj, Kishor is positioning himself as a challenger to the three dominant political forces in Bihar: RJD, JD(U), and BJP.

However, JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha dismissed Prashant Kishor's statement about fielding women candidates in the 2025 Bihar assembly election, stating that Kishor is not a political leader but rather runs an agency.

Kushwaha remarked, “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 comments reflect the JD(U)'s stance on Kishor's political ambitions, downplaying his influence and credibility in the political arena.