Prashant Kishor's Political Venture
For more than ten years, Prashant Kishor operated as a political strategist for various prominent Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar, and Mamata Banerjee. At 48 years old, Kishor established his own political entity, Jan Suraaj (People's Good Governance), in Bihar.
Jan Suraaj Electoral Performance
Kishor launched Jan Suraaj with the stated aim of addressing stagnation in Bihar. He campaigned for two years throughout the state, established an organizational structure, and put forward candidates in nearly all 243 constituencies. Despite considerable media attention, Jan Suraaj did not secure any seats and garnered a small percentage of the vote. The BJP-led alliance, under Prime Minister Modi, achieved an electoral victory. Jan Suraaj's outcome highlights the challenges associated with establishing new political entities in the Indian political system.
Historical Context of New Political Parties in India
Analysis of modern Indian political history indicates that few new parties have achieved significant relevance since the emergence of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1983. Successful new parties often originated as factions of established parties with pre-existing social support, such as the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Biju Janata Dal in Odisha. Other examples, like the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Assam (1985) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi, gained prominence through mass mobilization or in response to political crises.
Jan Suraaj's Distinctive Approach
Jan Suraaj did not arise from a popular movement nor during a period of widespread anti-incumbency sentiment. In 2025, Bihar's electorate largely maintained existing loyalties. According to political scientist Rahul Verma, the absence of an anti-incumbency wave meant voters adhered to established political and social loyalties. He noted that without a clear crisis or widespread dissatisfaction, Jan Suraaj was not perceived as a credible alternative, despite campaign efforts.
Jan Suraaj's formation differed from that of many other new Indian parties. While parties like AGP, TDP, and AAP originated from socio-political movements with strong grassroots support, and AAP specifically emerged from an anti-corruption movement, Jan Suraaj was conceptualized as a 'strategic project' by Kishor, aiming to address a 'political vacuum,' as observed by Saurabh Raj of the Indian School of Democracy.