Patna, Oct 2 (IANS ) Manoj Bharti has been appointed as the first working president of Prashant Kishor's newly formed Jan Suraaj party.
Bharti, a resident of Madhubani district in Bihar and belongs to the Dalit community, was selected in line with Prashant Kishor's earlier announcement that the party's first president would be a Dalit leader.
Manoj Bharti is a distinguished figure with a strong educational background. He studied at Netarhat School in undivided Bihar, graduated from IIT Kanpur, and later became a 1998 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
He also served as India’s ambassador to four countries, including Ukraine and Belarus. Bharti is recognised as a seasoned, grassroots leader with extensive involvement in social and political activities in rural Bihar.
His leadership in various social movements and reform campaigns, particularly focused on public welfare in rural areas, has earned him a strong regional reputation.
His combination of grassroots experience and commitment to social issues is believed to have made him an ideal choice for this key position in the Jan Suraaj party. This move underscores the party's focus on inclusivity and addressing pressing social concerns.
The appointment of Manoj Bharti as the first Working President of the Jan Suraaj party is largely attributed to his political experience and in-depth understanding of social issues. His main challenge now is to strengthen the party’s presence in Bihar, working closely under the strategic guidance of Prashant Kishor.
The party’s goal is to position itself as a significant alternative in upcoming elections, focusing on grassroots issues central to Bihar's development.
At the event, Prashant Kishor introduced the key provisions of the party's constitution and sought public consent
He highlighted several innovative features of Jan Suraaj, including a one-year tenure for the president and a two-year term for the ‘Leadership Council’. Most notably, Jan Suraaj will be the first political party in India to implement the ‘Right to Recall’, granting the public the power to both elect and remove their representatives mid-term.
Additionally, Kishor mentioned that the party has applied to the Election Commission for an official flag that will feature images of Babasaheb Ambedkar alongside Mahatma Gandhi.
Manoj Bharti, in his address, emphasised the deep connection of the people Bihar have to their homeland, famously stating, “You can remove Biharis from Bihar but cannot remove the Bihari mentality from their hearts.”
He also expressed concern over the recurring floods in North Bihar, asserting that Jan Suraaj would turn the ‘rivers from a curse to a blessing for the region.
Drawing from his diplomatic experience, Bharti stated, “Bihar has a rich cultural heritage, and hence I often gifted Madhubani paintings and Bhagalpur silk to foreign dignitaries. Jan Suraaj is a party that takes solid decisions after deep study.”