Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor observed a day-long maun vrat (vow of silence) on Thursday at the Bhitiharwa Gandhi Ashram in Bihar, a symbolic step he announced after his party failed to win a single seat in the Assembly elections. Kishor, who spent the last three years building Jan Suraaj as a new political alternative in the state, described the silence as an act of “atonement” for not being able to win public confidence in his vision for transformative politics.
His silent vow coincided with the swearing-in of Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister for a landmark tenth term, a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior NDA leaders. Kishor had earlier said he would dedicate November 20 to silent reflection at the ashram and return with renewed resolve. “I will work twice as hard… I will not stop until I fulfil my commitment to improve Bihar,” he told reporters earlier this week.
Kishor also acknowledged that he “failed to explain to the people of Bihar” why they should support a new political order. “We may have made mistakes, but we have committed no crime,” he said while announcing his decision to undertake the silent fast.
The NDA registered a sweeping victory, with the BJP becoming the largest party with 89 seats and the JD(U) following with 85. Jan Suraaj, fighting its first-ever election, was unable to open its account. The swearing-in took place at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan, a venue etched in political memory—from Jayaprakash Narayan’s call for “total revolution” in 1974 to numerous landmark gatherings.
The ceremony was attended by several NDA Chief Ministers, including those from Haryana, Assam, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, along with Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and LJP (RV) leader Chirag Paswan.
