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New Delhi: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Thursday observed a silent introspection (Maun Vrat) at the Bhitiharwa Gandhi Ashram in Bihar, days after his party failed to secure even a single seat in the Assembly elections. His fast coincided with Nitish Kumar taking oath as Chief Minister for a record tenth term, in a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior NDA leaders.
Kishor had earlier declared at a press conference on Tuesday that he would undertake a day-long silent fast at the Gandhi Bhitiharwa Ashram on November 20. Reiterating his commitment, he said, "I will work twice as hard as you've seen me work over the past three years and put in all my energy. There's no question of backing down. There's no turning back until I fulfil my resolve to make Bihar better."
Reflecting on the election outcome, he added, "I failed to explain to the people of Bihar the basis on which they should vote and why they should create a new system. Therefore, as atonement, I will observe a day-long silent fast at the Gandhi Bhitiharwa Ashram on November 20th. We may have made mistakes, but we have not committed any crime."
The NDA registered a decisive victory in the polls, with the BJP becoming the largest party by securing 89 seats, followed closely by the JD(U) with 85. Jan Suraaj, contesting elections for the first time, failed to open its account.
Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in ceremony was held at Patna’s iconic Gandhi Maidan, the same venue where he took oath in 2005, 2010 and 2015, and where Jayaprakash Narayan delivered his famous call for “total revolution” in 1974.
The event saw the presence of several NDA Chief Ministers, including Haryana’s Nayab Singh Saini, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, among others, were present. Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and LJP (RV) chief Chirag Paswan, among others, participated in the ceremony at Gandhi Maidan.
