Prashant Kishor injured, puts off padayatra

Patna, May 15

Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Monday said that he has suffered an injury which will keep him off his ‘Jan Suraaj’ padayatra in Bihar for about a month.

The padayatra, which commenced on Gandhi Jayanti, may now resume after about 15 days during which he will be recuperating from a muscle tear, he told reporters in Samastipur.

Kishor said that he was diagnosed with the health problem by doctors after his return from Valisahli, where he had developed a pain in his left leg.

“I am encountering no other health problem. The muscle tear was caused by walking long distances on bad roads. I refused to take a break in order to maintain honesty of purpose”, the 45-year-old IPAC chief told reporters at Morwa in Samastipur.

“It has been advised that since the padayatra will take many more months to cover every nook and corner of Bihar, I halt for some time to allow the healing process. The padayatra will resume after about 15 days from this very spot in the same format and with the same intensity,” he said.

The strategist, who has rubbed shoulders with the who’s who of Indian politics, claims to have had his fill of professional consultancy. He said he is focusing in helping Bihar, his home state, come out of the quagmire of economic stagnation that has made migration a way of life for its people.

Kishor has been making it clear that his ‘Jan Suraaj’ campaign may evolve into a full-fledged political party, rooted in the real issues facing Bihar. He, however, ruled himself out as the leader.

Major political formations in the state seem bewildered by his drive and the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ as well as BJP have suspected him of being in cahoots with their respective opponents. Nonetheless, the campaign seems to have gained some traction of late, with the surprise victory of an Independent candidate backed by it in a recent by-election to a legislative council seat. Many retired IAS and IPS officers joined the campaign.