Jan Suraaj Party chief’s appeal to Muslims to assert their power, triggers sharp responses from BJP, RJD, Congress, and JD-U
NEW DELHI – As the Bihar Assembly elections approach, political parties are exerting all efforts to woo Muslim voters who hold decisive sway in over 135 of the 243 seats. A recent statement by Jan Suraaj Party convenor Prashant Kishor has added fuel to the political fire.
In a strong appeal to the Muslim community, Prashant Kishor remarked, “Your vote is very precious, so do not become a part of the crowd. We are the people; we will fight for you. Do not fear anyone except Allah. You have seen so much. You have seen BJP, Modi-Yogi’s rule, UCC-NRC. Now whom and why should we fear?” He further added, “The people of the Muslim community have been burning like lantern oil till date, but now the light of the lantern is about to be extinguished.”
Reacting sharply, Bihar BJP spokesperson Prem Ranjan Patel accused Prashant Kishor of fearmongering. “Muslims are feeling safe in the NDA government. Muslims have always been used as a vote bank by showing fear,” he said.
Patel highlighted the social welfare initiatives under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming that the schemes primarily benefit the poor and marginalised sections of the Muslim community. “Today, the weaker sections of the Muslim community are getting the most benefit from the schemes of the Modi government. It is expected that they will support the NDA this time,” he asserted.
RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav countered Kishor’s remarks with sarcasm, questioning his intentions. “Ask Prashant Kishore Pandey whom he is afraid of, is he afraid of the BJP?” Yadav said.
He added, “Prashant Kishore was raising slogans of crossing 400 in the Lok Sabha elections with Prime Minister Modi. Those whose family and ancestors all vote for the BJP will talk about social justice and Muslim votes.” Yadav accused Kishor of aligning with BJP interests, asserting, “The Muslims of Bihar are not going to be fooled now. Your DNA also knows what you have done for a long time.”
Bihar Congress spokesperson Dr Snehashish Vardhan Pandey suggested that Kishor was promoting BJP’s agenda under the guise of concern for Muslims. “Prashant Kishore has started batting on the pitch of the BJP. He has now started talking about communal issues in Bihar from his election platforms,” Pandey said.
He added, “It is clear from his words that he is also a mastermind of the political moves of the BJP. Prashant Kishore is now slowly trying to bat in every field like a troubled teenager, and everyone knows that he will prove to be a failure because his political master Bharatiya Janata Party is going to lose in the Bihar elections.”
Janata Dal United (JD-U) spokesperson Manish Yadav strongly refuted Kishor’s statement, emphasising the loyalty of Muslim voters to Nitish Kumar’s government. “Prashant Kishore does not need to worry about the minorities of Bihar, they is not going to fall into your trap. Before 2005, whether it was RJD or Congress, they only used to cheat the Muslims by getting their votes,” Yadav said.
He praised the Nitish government for promoting communal harmony and development, adding, “Ever since Nitish Kumar has led Bihar, there has been no Hindu-Muslim conflict. Nitish government has done a lot of work for development, social, educational, and economic upliftment. That is why the minorities of Bihar are now only with Nitish Kumar.”
The statements and counter-statements underline the centrality of Muslim voters in Bihar’s political landscape. With 2025 elections approaching, parties are vying aggressively to secure the trust of this influential electorate, while the community itself continues to weigh past experiences against promises of development and justice.
Prashant Kishor’s remarks, positioning Muslims as a decisive political force, have clearly unsettled the major parties, prompting a rare public debate over minority welfare, vote bank politics, and governance records.
