Bihar Election 2025: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj picks ‘school bag’ as poll symbol. Here’s what it signifies

Bihar Election 2025: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party will contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections on the ‘school bag’ symbol. The Election Commission of India has allotted the ‘school bag’ as the common election symbol to Prashant Kishor’s Party for the assembly elections, scheduled for later this year.

The poll panel has not yet announced the schedule of Bihar elections 2025, likely to be held in October-November. As things stand, the schedule may be announced in the first week of October.

The term of the present Bihar assembly ends on November 22, and the new government has to take oath before that.

NDA vs INDIA vs Prashant Kishor

The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), is up against the opposition INDIA bloc led by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in the elections to the 243-member Bihar assembly. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is part of the NDA where the Congress is with the INDIA bloc.

Kishor's party has emerged as the third player contesting its first assembly elections in the state. Why did Jan Suraaj pick ‘school bag’ as its poll symbol?

“Our entire focus is on education and employment, and that’s why the school bag is our election symbol,” Kishor was quoted as saying by Indian Express, welcoming the Election Commission’s decision.

The school bag has been removed from the back

Jan Suraaj was formally launched by Kishor in October 2024 after his two-year-long padayatra across Bihar. The party has announced plans to contest all 243 assembly seats, positioning itself as an alternative to established parties – the JD (U), the RJD and the Congress.

“During the 35 years of Lalu-Nitish rule, the school bag has been removed from the backs of the children of Bihar and a sack of labour has been tied on them,” he said.

Jan Suraaj believes education is the key to ending poverty, creating employment and curbing migration from Bihar, said Kishor, who worked as a political strategist before becoming a full-fledged politician.

“Education is the biggest tool to eradicate poverty in Bihar,” he said.

Jan Suraaj has said it would field candidates in every assembly constituency, with at least 40 women.

Last week, Kishor launched a scathing attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, and the Congress, accusing them of failing to bring meaningful change to the state over the decades.

"For 40-45 years you voted for Congress, then you voted for Lalu Yadav for 15 years. For the last 20 years, Nitish Kumar has been the CM... But the life of the people of Vaishali has not been changed...If you vote as I will tell you, then proper arrangements for your children's education and employment will be made here in Vaishali itself," Kishor said, addressing a 'Bihar Badlav Rally' in Vaishali.

(With PTI inputs)