4 days ago
Former IPS officer, popular Bhojpuri singer are latest entrants in Prashant Kishor's party
A former IPS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre joined Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party Friday – a major boost in the arm for the outfit months ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls.
Popular Bhojpuri singer and Sasaram resident Ritesh Pandey who gained popularity for his 2019 song, 'Hello Kaun', also joined the party.
JP Singh, a resident of Saran, is a 2000-batch officer who recently took voluntary retirement. At that time, he had been serving as additional director general police, Crime Investigation Department, and was due to retire in July 2027.
According to sources, Singh is eyeing a ticket from Chhapra seat.
Kishor, who welcomed them both into the outfit, said: 'JP Singh is a great example of how a person from Bihar rose after having fought the poor system. He had studied in a government school at Ekma village of Saran, worked in the defence forces and later with Airport Authority of India before finally becoming an IPS officer. He will bring great value to the party'.
Pandey, he said, was the son of a school teacher.
'His father had lost his job during Lalu Prasad's regime and had taken his family to Benares to give them good education,' he said.
Singh said he quit his job to join Kishor's 'epoch-making movement'.
'My parents named me Jai Prakash, a great name in Indian history. When I saw that a person like Prashant Kishor, who had worked in the UN, could leave his comfort zone to work for Bihar, I felt the same pain and urge to do something for my state.'
Pandey said he was 'inspired' by what Kishor was doing. 'I know how Bihar people used to face ill-treatment outside the state…I wanted to do my bit by deciding to strengthen his hands,' he said.
Santosh Singh is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express since June 2008. He covers Bihar with main focus on politics, society and governance. Investigative and explanatory stories are also his forte. Singh has 25 years of experience in print journalism covering Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
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