Jan Suraaj Party
Jan Suraaj Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | JSP |
| President | Uday Singh (National) Manoj Bharti (Bihar) |
| Spokesperson | Pavan Varma and Yaduvansh Giri[1] |
| Founder | Prashant Kishor |
| Founded | 2 October 2024 (as Jan Suraaj Party)
2 May 2022 (as Jan Suraaj Abhiyan) |
| Headquarters | Suite No. 2, 1st Floor, Dakshineshwar Building, 10 Hailey Road, New Delhi-110001 |
| Ideology | Gandhism Social liberalism |
| Political position | Centre to centre-left |
| Colours | Yellow |
| Slogan | Sahī lōga, sahī sōca aura sāmūhika prayāsa (transl. Right people, right thinking, and collective effort) |
| ECI status | RUPP |
| Seats in Rajya Sabha | 0 / 245 |
| Seats in Lok Sabha | 0 / 543 |
| Seats in Bihar Legislative Council | 1 / 75 |
| Seats in Bihar Legislative Assembly | 1 / 243 |
| Election symbol | |
 School bag | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Jan Suraaj Party (lit. 'People's Good Governance Party'; abbr. JSP) is an Indian political party founded by Prashant Kishor on 2 October 2024, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti.[2] Rooted in Gandhian principles and social liberalism, the party positions itself at the centre to centre-left of the political spectrum, and seeks to function in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership acted as a broad-based people’s movement.
The party emerged from the Jan Suraaj Abhiyan, a grassroots movement initiated by Kishor to engage with the people of Bihar and develop a governance roadmap.[3] This was followed by a statewide padyatra that began on 2 October 2022 from the Gandhi Ashram in Champaran, the site of Mahatma Gandhi’s 1917 satyagraha,[4][5] culminating in a launch event in Patna, that drew a crowd of over 200,000 people, marking the formal transition of Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Abhiyan into a political organisation.
History
Formation and early initiatives
After his successful election campaigns in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in May 2021, Kishor announced his retirement as an election strategist on live television, stating, "I do not want to continue what I am doing. I have done enough. Time for me to take a break and do something else in life. I want to quit this space."[6]
About a year later, on 2 May 2022, Prashant Kishor hinted at the formation of a political outfit through a tweet stating, "It’s time to go to the Real Masters, The People," and advocating for "Jan Suraaj—People’s Good Governance."[7]
On 5 May 2022, he formally launched the Jan Suraaj Abhiyan in a press conference in Patna, declaring his intention to undertake a 3,500+ km padyatra across Bihar.[8] Between May and October 2022, Kishor travelled extensively across the state, meeting people from diverse backgrounds to understand their concerns and formulate a long-term governance strategy.
2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly Election
Jan Suraaj party contested on 238 seats in the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections. This marked the party's first major electoral contest since it was formed as a political party. Throughout the campaign, the party focused on issues which included education, healthcare, employment and migration. Jan Suraaj campaigned without forming an alliance with other parties and had initially announced to contest all 243 constituencies in Bihar.[9] Emphasis was placed on reducing youth migration from Bihar by promoting local employment and Industry.[10] The party highlighted that it's candidate selection was based on professional qualifications and the lack of criminal backgrounds or political dynasties.[11][12]
The first list of 51 candidates was released on 9 October which included teachers, former bureaucrats, and also a transgender candidate.[13] The party's election symbol was a school bag, highlighting it's focus on education and youth related issues.[14]
In October, Prashant Kishor announced that he himself would not be contesting in the Bihar elections. PK had earlier indicated he was looking at Raghopur as a possible seat for himself. Instead of Kishor, the party fielded Chanchal Kumar against Tejashwi Yadav.[15][16]
It failed to win a single seat, registering a vote share percentage of 3.44%.[17] The party registered fewer votes than None of the above in 68 constituencies. Jan Suraaj's candidates finished in second place in only one seat, while the party did not finish among the top two in the remaining constituencies.[17]
Bankipur by-election
In August 2026, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor contested the Bankipur Assembly by-election and defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, securing his first electoral victory. This marked the Jan Suraaj Party's first ever seat in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, a significant milestone for the party after it failed to win any seats in the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.[18][19]
Padyatra and party formation
The Jan Suraaj Padyatra commenced on 2 October 2022 from Gandhi Ashram, Bhitiharwa, West Champaran. Over the next two years, Kishor and his team visited 5,000+ villages, engaging with local communities to identify key issues and draft a 10-year development roadmap.[20][21] The campaign had three stated goals:[22]
- Identifying capable individuals at the grassroots level with the help of society and offering them a democratic platform.
- Understanding local problems and opportunities to draft priorities for towns and panchayats and create a blueprint for their development.
- Preparing a vision document for the next 15 years, incorporating suggestions from experts and the community on ten key areas: education, health, employment, economic development, agriculture, industry, and social justice.
During this period, several initiatives were launched, including PK Youth Clubs, aimed at training young individuals to enter politics through the Panchayati Raj system.[23]
Party formation
On 2 October 2024, Kishor officially announced the formation of the Jan Suraaj Party, claiming a membership base of 1 crore individuals. Retired IFS officer Manoj Bharti was appointed as the first Bihar State President.[24]
On 19 May 2025, the 150-member state core committee unanimously elected Uday Singh, a former two-term Lok Sabha MP from Purnia, as the Party's 1st National President.[25]
Office holders
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term in office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | |||
| 1 |  |
Prashant Kishor Founder |
2 October 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 330 days |
| 2 |  |
Manoj Bharti Bihar State President |
2 October 2024 | Incumbent | 1 year, 330 days |
| 3 | Uday Singh National President |
19 May 2025 | Incumbent | 1 year, 101 days | |
| 4 |  |
Pavan Varma National Chief Spokesperson |
23 January 2025 | Incumbent | 1 year, 217 days |
Electoral performance
JSP tasted electoral success for the first time in the Bihar legislative council bypolls (April 2023), when Jan Suraaj-backed Afaq Ahmad was elected as a Member of Legislative Council from Saran district (Teachers Constituency).[26]
Bihar by-elections (November 2024)
The Jan Suraaj Party made its electoral debut in the Bihar by-elections held on 13 November 2024, contesting four assembly constituencies: Belaganj, Imamganj (SC), Ramgarh, and Tarari. According to the Election Commission of India, the party's performance was as follows:
| Constituency | Candidate | Votes Polled | Vote Share | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belaganj | Mohammad Amjad | 17,285 | 10.66% | 3rd |
| Imamganj (SC) | Jitendra Paswan | 37,103 | 22.46% | 3rd |
| Ramgarh | Sushil Kumar Singh | 6,513 | 6.30% | 4th |
| Tarari | Kiran Singh | 5,592 | 3.48% | 3rd |
Bihar Assembly Elections
| Vidhan Sabha Term | Assembly Elections | Seats Contested | Seats Won | % of votes | % of votes in seats contested |
Party Votes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18th Vidhan Sabha | 2025 | 238 | 0 / 243 |
3.44 | 1,677,583 | [17] |
See also
References
- ↑ "महत्वपूर्ण सूचना - जन सुराज पार्टी के विचारों एवं पक्ष को प्रेस / मीडिया में रखने के लिए पार्टी के ओर से राष्ट्रीय मुख्य प्रवक्ता श्री पवन वर्मा और श्री वाई वी गिरी अधिकृत हैं।". 18 April 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ↑ "Prashant Kishor officially launches Jan Suraaj Party in Patna". The Economic Times. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- ↑ Tewary, Amarnath (2 October 2024). "Prashant Kishor announces Jan Suraaj as a political party". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ Chaurasia, Manoj (5 May 2022). "Prashant Kishor to undertake 3,000 km-long padyatra to transform face of Bihar". The Statesman.
- ↑ Tewary, Amarnath (2 October 2022). "Prashant Kishor embarks on 3,500 km 'padyatra' from Gandhi ashram in Bihar's Champaran". The Hindu.
- ↑ "After Bengal victory, Prashant Kishor retires from election management". India Today. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ↑ ""Time To Go To The Real Masters": Prashant Kishor's Cryptic New Tweet". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ↑ "Prashant Kishor says no political party for now, announces 'padyatra' in Bihar". The Indian Express. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ↑ "Jan Suraaj to pick candidates via statewide outreach programme". The Times of India. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "India's Modi faces tough Bihar state election; voters angry over unemployment, distrust electoral rolls". Reuters. 16 October 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "JSP Bihar election 2025, JSP candidate list, constituencies-wise, manifesto, and political agenda". Hindustan Times. 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ Verma, Lalmani (31 October 2025). "A fourth of Jan Suraaj candidates post-graduates, leads the way in fielding Muslims, women". The Indian Express. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Jan Suraaj Party releases first list of 51 candidates for Bihar polls". Newsonair. 15 October 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bihar Elections 2025: Jan Suraaj Releases List Of 51 Candidates For Bihar Polls". NDTV Profit. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Prashant Kishor will not contest, Jan Suraaj leader puts hand up for Tejashwi seat". The Indian Express. 16 October 2025. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- ↑ Pandey, Neelam (15 October 2025). "Why PK decided not to contest Bihar polls, and what it means for Jan Suraaj & its rivals". ThePrint. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
- 1 2 3 Gera, Ishaan (14 November 2025). "Jan Suraaj edges CPI(ML)(L) in vote share, but struggles to beat NOTA in over 25% of its seats". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Prashant Kishor Makes Stellar Electoral Debut From BJP's Bihar Stronghold Bankipur". NDTV. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Bankipur bypoll: 5 key takeaways from Prashant Kishor's win over BJP in its Bihar stronghold". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ Tewary, Amarnath (2 October 2022). "Prashant Kishor embarks on 3,500 km 'padyatra' from Gandhi ashram in Bihar's Champaran". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ "Jan Suraaj Founder Prashant Kishor says, "I have been going across Bihar for the last 3 years, including 2 years on foot". X. ANI. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ↑ "Padyatra: A step towards change, A direction towards development". Jan Suraaaj. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ "Youth Club: Skills, Leadership, Change". Jan Suraaaj. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ↑ "Ex Diplomat, IIT Grad Is Working President Of Prashant Kishor's New Party". NDTV.com. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
- ↑ "Prashant Kishor Appoints Ex-BJP MP Uday Singh As Jan Suraaj's First National President". ABP. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ↑ Mishra, Dipak (28 April 2023). "As PK's Jan Suraaj yatra meanders through Bihar, 1st electoral success spurs hope of 'impact in 2025 polls'". ThePrint. Retrieved 14 October 2025.