Prashant Kishor Takes Oath As Bihar MLA, Calls New Role A “Big Responsibility”

Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor formally entered the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Monday, taking oath as the newly elected MLA from the Bankipur constituency.

Kishor took the oath in the presence of Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar, marking a significant new phase in his political journey after making his electoral debut earlier this month.

Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Kishor described his entry into the House as a matter of pride as well as responsibility. He recalled the long list of prominent leaders who had served in the Bihar Assembly, including Krishna Sinha, Karpoori Thakur, Anugrah Narayan Sinha, Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Kedar Pandey, Ram Vilas Paswan and Sushil Kumar Modi.

Kishor said serving in a House that had witnessed the political careers of such leaders was an honour. At the same time, he said the position carried a “big responsibility”, stressing the need to work in the spirit of legislators who had devoted years of their lives to the development of Bihar and society.

His victory in the August 3 Bankipur bypoll marked his first electoral success as a candidate and gave his Jan Suraaj movement a major political boost. Kishor secured 64,151 votes, defeating BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar, who polled 44,827 votes, by a margin of 19,324 votes.

The Bankipur bypoll was necessitated after BJP president Nitin Nabin vacated the Assembly seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha.

The victory was particularly significant as the BJP had held Bankipur since 1995. Kishor’s win therefore not only marked his personal transition from political strategist to elected representative but also put the spotlight on the electoral prospects of the Jan Suraaj movement in Bihar.

With his oath-taking now complete, Kishor faces the challenge of turning his campaign promises into legislative action while establishing his role inside the Assembly.