Law Kumar Mishra
Bihar is the land of experiments.
Gautam Buddha and Mahavir started it with Ahimsa, Mahata Gandhi with his satyagrah at Champaran, Vinoba Bhave through his Bhoodan at Turky, Jayaprakash Narain launched Total Revolution, Swami Sahiananad experimented with Land reforms at Bihta and before Kashi Ram took the lead of uniting Bahujan Samaj, Jagdeo Prasad launched Shoshit Dal.
And, now for the last few years, experiments aimed at political reforms are being made by local young talents.
Pushpam Priya Chaudhury, a native of Darbhanga and London School of Economics graduate plunged unto political field by launching her The People’s Party in 2020 assembly elections. Daughter of a former legislator, Pushpam fielded her candidates in 43 out of 243 constituencies.
All, however, failed. She had toured all the assembly constituencies seeking votes to reform and improve Bihar. Full page advertisements on page one were inserted in leading major dailies declaring her as the chief minister candidate for 2025 elections. In August, she again issued an appeal, asking voters to fight for betterment the land of their Baap Dada.
A 2003 batch IPS officer from Bihar in Begusarai district, Vikas Vaibhav has started a new educational, social and cultural voluntary organisation name Let Us Inspire to ” rebuild Bihar”. The IIT Kanpur graduate is utilising Saturdays and Sundays to visit different district headquarters to promote Let Us Inspire campaign, meet the local citizens and share views on Brand New Bihar.
Since October 2, 2024, 50 years old Prashant Kishor Pandey, who had launched Indian political action committee (IPAC) started his political venture as Jan Suraj Party.
PK, who had been associated with Narendra Modi in Gandhi Nagar and Nitish Kumar at Patna, had worked for WHO too and expanded the immunisation plan in tribal areas of then undivided Bihar. His young members had actively worked for Nitish Kumar in the assembly elections in 2015 and Abki Bar Nitish Kumar became popular even among the illiterates.
PK was rewarded with a cabinet rank adviser post, a ministerial bungalow and even departmental heads were asked to report to him.
Once close to Nitish, son of doctor couples from Buxar in western Bihar, P K is now his bitter enemy. He outs Lalu Prasad and Nitish in the same basket and alleged, Bihar had been ruined by the two Bade Bhai and Chhote Bhai. Both have ruled Bihar for the last 30 years, PK regrets and vows to revive the golden era of pre-2005 period.
Before launching his political party, he had joined the two years long pad yatra throughout Bihar, staying in villages, getting the feel of under developed Bihar. He got support from the BJP in money and manpower during the padyatra that was targeted at weakening the JDU.
His initial political success was in 2024 when a Jan Suraj activist succeeded in winning the legislative council election from Tirhut in December 2024 by elections to four assembly seats in old Shahabad he fielded his candidates who were highly educated, but novice in politics. They failed before the professional political leaders of ruling party nominees.
He is giving a new identity to political party by making a former Ambassador party president, retired IAS, IPS, IFS officers are the office bearers with an young IPS officer of Assam cadre Anand Mishra who sought VRS to join his party as spokesman.
Though he is neither Anna Hasare nor Arwind Kejriwal, PK has become a household name, an iconic figure among the youths.
He braved chilly winter for a week by joining satyagrah with the unemployed youths at Gandhi Maidan, fasting for 15 days leading to his hospitalisation, facing the police lathis on winter morning, his imprisonment at Beur central jail, then an unconditional bail .
As the government did not concede his demand for reexamination of the 70th batch of Bihar public service commission, he relaunched his satyagrah in the bed of Ganga, which is now dry. His satyagrah tents are now full with about 10000 students.
PK has definitely appeared as a leader who cannot be ignored. Neither Lalu nor Nitish can challenge his politics and strategy. He had made his intentions clear, would field candidates in all the 243 constituencies which would disturb the political mathematics of the two superpowers in Bihar.
