Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party fields transgender candidate Priti Kinnar in first list for Bihar polls

Priti Kinnar, the transgender candidate of Jan Suraaj Party

Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor on Thursday unveiled the first list of 51 candidates from his Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) for the Bihar assembly elections 2025.

The list features a diverse mix of professionals such as doctors, lawyers, retired bureaucrats, and police officers—reflecting Kishor’s push for clean and community-driven politics. Among the candidates is Priti Kinnar, a transgender social activist who will contest from the Bhorey constituency in Gopalganj district, a seat reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.

Among the candidates the party chose is well-known mathematician KC Sinha, who served as the Vice Chancellor of Patna University. The books he authored have been followed in Bihar’s schools for decades. The list also includes YB Giri, JSP’s candidate from Manjhi, who previously served as the Additional Advocate General of Bihar and the Additional Solicitor General of India for central government cases that came up in the Patna High Court.

Priti, a resident of Kalyanpur village in Bhore block, has long been associated with social work and grassroots outreach across the state, reported NDTV. The party believes her understanding of local issues will help her raise the concerns of the common man in the Bihar Assembly.

The Bhorey seat is currently held by Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar’s Education Minister, Sunil Kumar, a prominent figure in the Nitish Kumar-led government. Priti’s candidature is expected to make the contest in Bhorey one of the most closely watched in the upcoming election.

Transgender candidates have been contesting elections in India for over a decade, though few have managed to win. Earlier this year, a transgender independent candidate in Delhi’s assembly elections secured just 85 votes, highlighting the challenges faced by the community in political representation.

The Bihar assembly elections will be held in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting of votes scheduled for November 14.