Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) national president and former MP Uday Singh on Thursday announced that party founder Prashant Kishor will be the party’s chief ministerial candidate in a major political development ahead of the Bihar assembly elections. The declaration came while Kishor himself remains on his ongoing ‘Bihar Badalo Yatra’, during which he has consistently denied any intention of contesting for the top post. This contradiction between the party leadership and its founder has triggered fresh speculation about Kishor’s future political role.

Addressing the media, Singh claimed that the people of Bihar are ready for change and are increasingly rallying behind Kishor’s leadership. Describing JSP as a movement rather than just a political outfit, Singh criticized the ruling parties for focusing solely on power while ignoring systemic issues. He took a sharp dig at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, highlighting persistent problems such as outmigration and deteriorating education despite JD(U)'s long rule. Singh labeled the current state of governance as “Mahajungle Raj”, accusing Nitish of failing to improve conditions over the past two decades.

Meanwhile, the political landscape remains divided with the INDIA bloc yet to officially declare a CM face. While CPI(ML)'s Dipankar Bhattacharya insisted that Tejashwi Yadav will lead the alliance, Congress leaders maintain that he has only been appointed as the coordination committee’s chairman. Prashant Kishor, on the other hand, recently challenged the NDA to name Nitish Kumar as its CM candidate. With JSP positioning itself as a third alternative in Bihar, the election battle promises to be multi-cornered and intense.