Prashant Kishor puts new party on hold

Patna: Celebrated election strategist Prashant Kishor on Thursday announced that he has had his fill as a backroom operator for leading political players of the country and that he now intended to create a platform of like-minded people named 'Jan Suraaj' aimed at transforming his home state Bihar.

While he brushed aside speculation that he would announce the setting up of a new party, Kishor held out the possibility of Jan Suraaj metamorphosing into a political party at a later stage.

He said he was in touch with "about 18,000 people" who shared his vision for Bihar and whom he will "try to meet personally", before launching a 3,000-km 'padyatra' (march) from Gandhi Ashram at Champaran on the Mahatma's birthday, October 2. Kishor came out with an outline of his project, titled 'Jan Suraaj', drawing inspiration from Gandhi's aphorism of "the best politics is right action", at a crowded press conference here, days after he had announced his decision to go back "to the Real Masters – the people".

"A political party can be floated even a few months ahead of elections. Bihar faces none in the next few years," Kishor said averting pointed questions about his future political moves.

"I plan to cover a distance of 3,000 km in about a year. I will travel to every nook and corner of the state and meet as many people as possible, trying to learn from their grievances and aspirations," he said.

Kishor, who founded the political consultancy IPAC and who has worked with both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his arch rival Lalu Prasad, credited the two leaders with achievements in terms of social and economic empowerment in the last three decades.