Nitish’s big day in Patna, Kishor’s quiet fast in Champaran: Two contrasting scenes in Bihar

As Patna geared up for Nitish Kumar’s grand swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, with a packed Gandhi Maidan, tight security and a long list of political heavyweights, Prashant Kishor spent the day far away from the spotlight, observing a silent fast at a Gandhi ashram in West Champaran.

The contrast could not have been sharper: while Janata Dal (United) and Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs lined up to take oath as ministers in the new Bihar cabinet, Kishor, whose Jan Suraaj Party suffered a heavy defeat in the just-concluded Assembly polls, chose introspection and silence.

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Also Read: ‘I have left politics, I don’t do politics, but I will not stop speaking for the people…’: Prashant Kishor after Bihar poll loss

Kishor holds ‘maun upvaas’ at Bhitiharwa Ashram

According to a statement released by the Jan Suraaj Party, Kishor arrived at the Bhitiharwa Ashram, an iconic site linked to Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagraha movement, and began a day-long ‘maun upvaas’ (silent fast).

He paid floral tributes to Gandhi before beginning the fast, accompanied by senior party colleagues, including state unit chief Manoj Bharti.

The party said the decision to hold the fast at the ashram was symbolic, especially since Kishor has often spoken of Gandhi’s influence on his political thinking.

Ashram holds personal significance for Kishor

The choice of location is not new. Kishor had started his 3,500-km ‘padyatra’ from the same ashram three years ago. It was an outreach programme that eventually led to the formation of the Jan Suraaj Party on Gandhi Jayanti in 2024.

The defeat in the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections appears to have prompted a reset, with Thursday’s silent fast framed as a moment of reflection for the 48-year-old activist-politician.

A quiet day for Kishor as political theatre unfolded in Patna

Back in the Bihar capital, the oath-taking ceremony was a high-profile event, with JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Shrawan Kumar, Ashok Choudhary, and several BJP leaders, including Sanjay Singh Tiger, Dilip Jaiswal, Rama Nishad, Arun Shankar Prasad, Mangal Pandey, Ram Kripal Yadav and Nitin Nabin, sworn in as ministers.

Madan Sahni, Sunil Kumar, Lesi Singh, and Mohammad Jama Khan also took the oath from the JD(U) side, along with Santosh Suman of HAM(S).

Also Read: Nitish Kumar takes oath as Bihar Chief Minister for record 10th term

When the new government was being shaped at Gandhi Maidan in front of thousands, Kishor, a man once credited with engineering major political victories, sat quietly at Gandhi’s ashram, away from political noise and public glare.