Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj announces first list of 51 candidates for Bihar polls
Patna: The Jan Suraaj Party, led by political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, on Thursday announced its first list of 51 candidates for the upcoming two-phase Bihar Assembly election scheduled for next month.
The list includes a diverse mix of professionals — a celebrated mathematician, retired bureaucrats, former police officers, doctors, and lawyers marking the party’s attempt to present itself as a clean and credible alternative in Bihar’s political landscape.
According to the list, 16 per cent of the candidates are Muslims and 17 per cent belong to extremely backward communities (EBCs). Kishor, who has often criticised corruption in mainstream politics, has said that integrity and public service record were the key criteria for shortlisting candidates.
One of the most notable names on the list is Prof. K.C. Sinha, Jan Suraaj’s candidate from Kumhrar. A renowned mathematician and former Vice-Chancellor of Patna University, Prof. Sinha is best known for authoring school textbooks that have been followed for decades across Bihar and several other states.
From Manjhi, the party has fielded Y.B. Giri, a Senior Advocate at the Patna High Court. Giri has served as Additional Advocate General of Bihar and Additional Solicitor General of India for central government cases in the same court.
Another key candidate, Dr. Amit Kumar Das, will contest from Muzaffarpur. An alumnus of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Dr. Das is known for his efforts to expand basic healthcare access in rural areas. Along with his wife, who is also a doctor, he runs a hospital in Muzaffarpur.
While the list introduces several new faces, it notably does not include Prashant Kishor’s own name, leaving uncertainty over whether he will enter the electoral fray himself. Kishor has previously indicated interest in contesting either from Raghopur, the RJD stronghold represented by Tejashwi Yadav, or from Kargahar, his home constituency.
Interestingly, the first list names Ritesh Ranjan (Pandey) as the Jan Suraaj candidate from Kargahar, fuelling speculation that Kishor may indeed choose to contest from Raghopur.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
