Prashant Kishor on Day-Long ‘Maun Vrat’ at Gandhi Ashram as Nitish Kumar Took Oath as Bihar CM

Patna: A day after his newly formed Jan Suraaj Party failed to open its account in the BiharAssembly elections, political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Thursday observed a silent fast (Maun Vrat) at the historic Bhitiharwa Gandhi Ashram in West Champaran district.

The solemn introspection came even as JD(U) president Nitish Kumar was sworn in as Chief Minister of Bihar for a record tenth time at a grand ceremony in Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top NDA leaders.

Kishor had announced the one-day silent fast during a press conference on Tuesday, describing it as an act of “prayaschit” (atonement) for his inability to convince voters about the need for an alternative political system.

“I take full responsibility for failing to communicate our vision effectively to the people of Bihar. We may have committed mistakes, but we have not committed any sin. I will now work with double the intensity seen in the last three years. There is no retreat until Bihar is transformed,” Kishor had declared.

The NDA registered a resounding victory, with the BJP winning 89 seats and ally JD(U) securing 85. Jan Suraaj, contesting its maiden election, drew a blank across all seats.

Meanwhile, the oath-taking ceremony at the iconic Gandhi Maidan – the same venue where Nitish Kumar took oath in 2005, 2010 and 2015, and where Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan gave the call for “Sampoorna Kranti” in 1974 – was attended by a galaxy of NDA Chief Ministers including Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), N. Chandrababu Naidu (Andhra Pradesh), Nayab Singh Saini (Haryana), Neiphiu Rio (Nagaland) and Pushkar Singh Dhami (Uttarakhand).

Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan administered the oath of office and secrecy to Nitish Kumar and his council of ministers. LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan was also prominently present.

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