Prashant Kishor moves to ashram on Patna's outskirts, says he'll live there till next Bihar polls

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Wednesday said he has moved to an ashram on the outskirts of Patna from where he will continue to run his political activities until his fledgling party establishes itself in the next assembly elections.

Speaking to reporters in Darbhanga, the 48-year-old political strategist-turned-politician said he moved out of his earlier residence in Patna on Tuesday night.

''Last night I shifted out of the place in Patna where I had been living. The Bihar Navnirman Ashram, situated close to IIT-Patna, shall be my abode till the next assembly polls when the Jan Suraaj Party will, hopefully, make an impact,'' he said.

The I-PAC co-founder, who quit political consultancy and floated the Jan Suraaj Party in 2024, had until now been operating from 'Sheikhpura House', a sprawling bungalow near Patna airport owned by the family of party national president and former BJP MP Uday Singh.

Singh belongs to a prominent political family. His elder brother, NK Singh, is a former Rajya Sabha MP and former chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, while their late mother, Madhuri Singh, was a senior Congress leader and multiple-term MP from Purnea.

Kishor, a former JD(U) vice-president, also launched a sharp attack on former chief minister Nitish Kumar, who stepped down from the post last month to enter the Rajya Sabha.

''The one who got elected as chief minister after the elections was unable to stop migration caused by economic distress. Instead, he chose to migrate himself, but not before ensuring that his son gets a foothold,'' he said, referring to Kumar's son Nishant Kumar, who has joined the BJP-led government headed by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.

He urged voters in Bihar to prioritise their own interests instead of voting on the basis of caste, religion or monetary inducements.

''The people of Bihar must think about the future of their own children while casting votes. They should not get swayed by leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar or Lalu Prasad, nor should they sell their votes for Rs 10,000,'' he said.

The remark was seen as a reference to the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana launched ahead of the assembly elections, under which over 1.5 crore women received Rs 10,000 each.

Kishor also warned of possible economic challenges arising out of the situation in West Asia, claiming fuel prices could rise sharply and fertiliser shortages may worsen.

''People may witness an increase in petrol and diesel prices by up to Rs 10 per litre. We may also face a major fertiliser crisis. Till now farmers complained of black marketing; now they may face outright unavailability,'' he said.

Kishor further criticised CM Choudhary over government expenditure, alleging extravagance despite Bihar being one of the poorest states in the country.

''Bihar is the poorest state in the country, but its chief minister lives in a 25-acre residence. Imagine the expenditure involved in maintaining its gardens. And now we hear that Choudhary plans to expand the compound further by merging the bungalow he occupied as deputy chief minister with the chief minister's residence,'' he alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)