Bhojpur (Bihar) [India], June 27 : Ahead of Bihar assembly polls, Jan Suraaj Founder Prashant Kishor took a swipe at former Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav, current Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that people in the state had decided to bring the new system in Bihar for education and employment.
Prashant Kishor said, "We have only one goal that the people of Bihar will remain number one this time, Lalu Yadav, Nitish Kumar and PM Modi will all go down. This will not be the victory of Prashant Kishor or Jan Suraaj; it will be the victory of the people. People who have been in poverty for 30-35 years due to corruption, loot done by the politicians, whose children remained illiterate, whose children became labourers, now everyone is awake. Everyone has decided to bring the new system in Bihar for education and employment."
Earlier Prashant Kishor said that Bihar became a state of labourers under the governance of previous CM Lalu Prasad Yadav and present CM Nitish Kumar.
"The only way to end poverty, illiteracy and unemployment in Bihar is education. The last 30-35 years of Lalu-Nitish rule have turned the entire Bihar into a labourers' state. The children here were forced to carry sacks on their backs. Jan Suraaj's ideology is that the children of Bihar will not carry sacks on their backs, but will carry school bags, study, get jobs, and live a good life," Kishor said.
The Election Commission of India has allotted the 'school bag' as the common election symbol to Jan Suraaj for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
Welcoming the decision, Jan Suraaj Party party founder Prashant Kishor emphasised that education is the key to eradicating poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment in the state.
Earlier, in an interview with ANI, he said that despite PM Modi being in power at the Centre for 11 years, Bihar continues to suffer from poverty, hunger, and helplessness. He pointed out that major industries have been established in the state, forcing young people to migrate in search of work.
"We still face hunger, poverty, and helplessness. We ask this government--being in power for twenty years in the state and eleven years at the Centre, you name even one domain where Bihar ranks number one nationally?" he questioned.
He also alleged that the government's claims are based on manipulated particularly in areas such as toilet construction and educational reforms.
In the current 243-member Bihar Assembly, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) holds 131 seats: the BJP (80), JD(U) (45), HAM(S) (4), and support from 2 independents. The Opposition India Bloc holds 111 seats, comprising RJD (77), Congress (19), CPI(ML) (11), CPI(M) (2), and CPI (2).
Jan Suraaj Party is set to contest in the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections, which are expected later this year.