Patna, Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor has begun a day-long silent fast at the historic Bhitiharwa Ashram in Bihar’s West Champaran district, returning to the site where he had earlier launched an ambitious 3,500-km foot march that later gave birth to his Jan Suraaj Party.
The move comes in the aftermath of his party’s poor performance in the recently concluded Bihar Assembly elections , an outcome seen as a significant blow for a figure who once played a central role in crafting winning campaigns across India’s political landscape.
Kishor, 48, arrived at the ashram on Thursday morning accompanied by senior party colleagues, including state unit chief Manoj Bharti. Before beginning his maun upvaas (silent fast), he laid floral tributes at a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, a leader he has repeatedly described as his political and moral inspiration.
Set up more than a century ago by Gandhi himself, Bhitiharwa Ashram holds deep symbolic significance for Kishor. Exactly three years ago, he began his prolonged pada yatra from the same location ,a march that he said was aimed at fostering grassroots dialogue in Bihar and understanding the systemic challenges faced by its people. The journey eventually culminated in the formation of the Jan Suraaj Party on Gandhi Jayanti last year.
In a statement, the party said the fast was both an act of reflection and a reaffirmation of Kishor’s commitment to Gandhian methods. The silent demonstration, it said, was intended to mark “a moment of introspection” following the electoral defeat.
Kishor’s decision to step away from political consulting several years ago to build a reform-oriented movement in Bihar was widely seen as a bold gambit. But the setback in the state polls has raised fresh questions about the trajectory of Jan Suraaj and Kishor’s political future.
The quiet at Bhitiharwa on Thursday stood in contrast to the intense election season that preceded it. Yet the symbolism of the site , a place steeped in the memory of Gandhi’s early activism ,suggests Kishor is signalling that he intends to continue his political journey, albeit with renewed contemplation.
