Ritesh Pandey and Ex-IPS Officer Jaiprakash Singh Join Jan Suraaj Party; Prashant Kishor Criticizes Bihar's System

In a major boost to Prashant Kishor’s new formed political party Jan Suraaj Party Bhojpuri singer Ritesh Pandey, and ex-IPS officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre Jaiprakash Singh have joined the newly formed political party.  Prashant Kishor welcomed the duo in a press conference. Kishor said, “ “…I want to welcome JP Singh Ji and Ritesh Pandey Ji into Jan Suraaj. Here, we give importance to those people who have achieved something by fighting with the system of Bihar… JP Singh couldn’t study further because of money issues, so served in Indian Army. After that he bagged 59th rank in all over India, in IPS exam. He is the serving as Himachal Pradesh ADG now.” He added, “Look at the condition of Bihar ADG, who says farmers are free these days, that’s why crime rate has increased.”

VIDEO | Patna: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) addresses a press conference.

“…I want to welcome JP Singh Ji and Ritesh Pandey Ji into Jan Suraaj. Here, we give importance to those people who have achieved something by fighting with the system of Bihar… JP… pic.twitter.com/TbwqRAX84K

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 18, 2025

After his successful election campaigns in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in May 2021, Kishor announced his retirement as an election strategist on live television, stating, "I do not want to continue what I am doing. I have done enough. Time for me to take a break and do something else in life. I want to quit this space." About a year later, on 2 May 2022, Prashant Kishor hinted at the formation of a political outfit through a tweet stating, "It’s time to go to the Real Masters, The People," and advocating for "Jan Suraaj—People’s Good Governance."On 5 May 2022, he formally launched the Jan Suraaj Abhiyan in a press conference in Patna, declaring his intention to undertake a 3,500+ km padyatra across Bihar. Between May and October 2022, Kishor travelled extensively across the state, meeting people from diverse backgrounds to understand their concerns and formulate a long-term governance strategy.