NTT Desk
Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor, who is contesting the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar, has declared assets worth nearly Rs 96 crore in the affidavit submitted along with his nomination papers. According to the election affidavit filed before the Returning Officer, Kishor owns movable assets valued at Rs 22.19 crore and immovable properties worth Rs 73.87 crore. His wife, Dr Jahnavi Das, a medical practitioner from Assam, has declared movable assets of Rs 89.51 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 12.42 crore.
Kishor filed his nomination papers on Monday, describing his electoral debut as a larger political movement rather than merely a bypoll contest. "This is not just my 'naamankan' (nomination) but a call for political change in Bihar, where people with criminal records must give up their chairs," he said.
Before filing his nomination, the Jan Suraaj chief offered prayers at the Baba Hariharnath Temple in Sonepur. Accompanied by party workers and supporters, he later led a procession from the Scout Guide Ground near Sinha Library to the Patna Collectorate.
The 49-year-old political strategist-turned-politician is contesting the Bankipur seat, which fell vacant following the resignation of BJP state president Nitin Nabin. The BJP has fielded Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha after its earlier nominee, Abhishek Kumar alias "Bunty", withdrew from the contest. The affidavit also reveals that Kishor currently has an outstanding bank loan of Rs 5.77 crore.
His property portfolio includes two flats in Ghaziabad, a 50 per cent stake in two additional apartments, residential plots in Patna's Pataliputra Colony and Delhi's Vasant Vihar, besides properties in Buxar and his ancestral village. Dr Das owns two flats and a one-third share in a bungalow in Guwahati, along with additional property in Noida. Kishor has also disclosed that he owns Vedha Venture Private Limited. The company contributed Rs 85 crore to Jan Suraaj during the 2024-25 financial year, after donating Rs 50 lakh to the Jan Suraaj Foundation and Rs 2.75 crore to Joy of Giving in 2023-24.
The affidavit further states that eight criminal cases have been registered against Kishor. The cases include allegations of defamation, obstructing public servants in the discharge of their duties and fraud. However, no charges have been formally framed in any of the cases so far.
Kishor entered active politics after announcing his retirement from political consultancy following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election results. He subsequently shifted his focus to Bihar and launched the Jan Suraaj Abhiyan on October 2, 2022, embarking on a statewide padyatra while declaring that he would no longer work as an election strategist for political parties. Although Jan Suraaj made its electoral debut in the Bihar Assembly elections earlier this year, the party failed to secure a single seat. Kishor, who had stayed away from contesting those elections, is now making his first attempt at electoral politics through the Bankipur bypoll.
According to the affidavit, Kishor holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from the University of Lucknow and a Master's degree in Healthcare Management from the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad. He has also completed a certification course in the French language.
