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Prashant Kishor, the renowned poll strategist and founder of the Jan Suraj party, has made a bold move aimed at disrupting the traditional political landscape of Bihar. He has declared his intention to field as many as 40 Muslim candidates in the upcoming 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. This strategic move is seen as a direct challenge to the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Tejashwi Yadav, which has historically relied on the Muslim-Yadav (MY) vote base for electoral success.
Kishor's announcement was made during a massive gathering of Jan Suraj supporters in Patna, where over 7,000 members of the Muslim community were present. This event further solidified his commitment to enhancing Muslim representation in Bihar's political arena. In addition to the 40 Muslim candidates, Kishor revealed plans to launch his new party on October 2, 2024, with a core team of 25 members, including a significant number of Muslims. He also claimed that the party would be inaugurated with the backing of over 10 million supporters from across the state, showcasing his ambitious vision for a new political force in Bihar.
The move is perceived as a direct challenge to the RJD's long-standing dominance in Bihar, which has been maintained through the strong support of the Muslim and Yadav communities. For over 15 years, during Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi's rule (1990-2005), this coalition served as the RJD's electoral backbone. Kishor's pledge to cover the expenses for all 40 Muslim candidates underlines his determination to disrupt this historical dominance and make a significant impact on the political dynamics of the state.
Kishor's campaign, which started in October 2022, has involved extensive travel across Bihar, engaging with communities and building support for his party. Throughout this process, he has repeatedly emphasized the importance of fair representation based on population and the latest caste survey report. According to the Bihar Caste Survey Report 2023, Muslims constitute 18% of the state's population. Kishor has been vocal about the need to reflect this demographic reality in political representation.
Kishor has further sought to differentiate his party from the RJD by criticizing the central government's policies like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), which he believes are detrimental to Muslim interests. He has also accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of betraying the Muslim community after initially supporting their interests between 2005 and 2012, only to realign with the BJP in 2017. He has also highlighted discrepancies in local governance, pointing out that the Muslim population should warrant approximately 1,650 'Mukhiyas' and 'Sarpanch' positions, but only 1,200 are currently occupied.
Kishor's strategy is aimed at eroding the RJD's hold over the Muslim vote bank. He has been critical of RJD leaders Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav, alleging that they have exploited the Muslim vote base through fear tactics and failed to deliver on political and development promises. Kishor contends that the RJD has treated Muslims as political pawns, using them as a vote bank without providing meaningful representation or addressing their concerns. He also highlighted the RJD's minimal Muslim representation in the recent Lok Sabha elections, where only two out of 23 candidates were Muslim.
Kishor's move to field a significant number of Muslim candidates is likely to shake up the political landscape in Bihar, potentially leading to a realignment of political forces. The success of this strategy depends on factors such as the response of the Muslim community to Kishor's campaign, the effectiveness of his message, and the ability of his party to gain traction among voters. The upcoming 2025 elections will be a crucial test for Kishor's ambitions and the future of his political journey in Bihar.
Source: Prashant Kishor plans Muslim outreach to dent Tejashwi Yadav's vote bank in Bihar