From a darkly comic tale of revenge to a beautiful contemplation on friendship, here are the year's most acclaimed works of fiction so far. "Daring, deranged, cleverly written," is how Vogue describes the buzzy debut by Caro Claire Burke. In this satirical thriller
Overnight fires in Delhi: Shops, homes gutted in four blazesA fire department officer was injured after the tin shed of one of the shops he was standing on during the firefighting operation collapsed. Updated on: May 24, 2026 7:37 AM IST By Karn Pratap Singh Share via Copy link Four separate fire
Ex-Meta employee says non-Chinese workers were targeted for layoffsA laid-off Meta engineer has alleged that he was routinely excluded and ostracised by his Chinese colleagues at the company. Updated on: May 24, 2026 7:01 AM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link A laid-off Meta engineer has alleged
X warns founder against reuploading White House shooting video: 'Revenue reduced by 90%'Nikita Bier of X warned a user against reuploading the White House shooting video, asking him to ‘Quote’ or ‘Video Reshare’ instead. Updated on: May 24, 2026 6:14 AM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link
Sonam Wangchuk says Article 371 talks for Ladakh still ‘work in progress’; backs Cockroach Janta PartySonam Wangchuk hoped constitutional safeguards will be granted to Ladakh after recent talks between Ladakh groups and the Centre. Updated on: May 24
Prashant Kishor: Why India's political start-ups rarely succeed
Prashant Kishor: Why India's political start-ups rarely succeed
For over a decade, Prashant Kishor was India's backstage magician - the political strategist trusted by everyone from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to powerful regional leaders such as Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee.
But when the 48-year-old finally stepped into the arena himself, the spell snapped.
Kishor launched Jan Suraaj (People's Good Governance) with the swagger of a data-driven political start-up and the promise of breaking the cycle of stagnation in Bihar, India's poorest state.
He spent two years walking across the state, built a slick organisation and fielded candidates in almost all 243 seats. The media buzz was huge, but Jan Suraaj failed to win a single seat, scraping only a sliver of the vote, as Modi's BJP-led alliance swept to power.
For all the attention Kishor commanded - often more than established leaders - the party could not convert visibility into votes. In India's febrile and deeply divided political marketplace, his debut, many believe, stands as a cautionary tale: breaking into the system is far harder than diagnosing its flaws from the outside.
The modern history of Indian politics bears this out.
Since the rise of the regional Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1983, very few new parties have crossed the threshold of relevance. Those that have - from West Bengal's Trinamool Congress to Odisha's Biju Janata Dal - were breakaway factions of major parties, anchored in existing social bases.
Others, like Assam's Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in 1985 or Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) decades later, rode on the back of mass mobilisation and political crises. Kishor's Jan Suraaj had neither. It was not born of a street movement, nor did it emerge into a moment of anti-incumbent fury. Despite its many problems, Bihar in 2025 appeared to be largely content with the status quo.
"There was no anti-incumbency wave - voters largely stuck to established political and social loyalties. Without a visible crisis or widespread dissatisfaction, Kishor's party never appeared a credible alternative, despite hard work and mobilisation," says Rahul Verma, a political scientist.
Jan Suraaj's debut in Bihar also contrasted sharply with most new Indian parties.
While parties like the AGP, TDP and AAP grew from "socio-political movements that already had deep emotional and grassroots resonance", and AAP was born from a mass anti-corruption movement, Jan Suraaj was conceived as "more of an intellectual and strategic project" - a strategy-driven initiative to fill what Kishor called a "political vacuum", says Saurabh Raj of the Delhi-based Indian School of Democracy.
"The subsequent padayatra [a long, grassroots walk across the state to meet people] tried to turn that intellectual idea into a people's campaign. But it still lacked the organic, movement-based energy that typically propels new parties to relevance. In that sense, Jan Suraaj feels more like a 'designed political start-up' than a party born of agitation or upheaval," adds Raj.
Kishor bet that this meticulously designed political project could substitute for a loyal constituency.
He talked of governance, jobs, forced migration for jobs and education - a compelling agenda in a state long trapped by caste and patronage politics. Reaching Bihar's 130 million mostly young people, Kishor brought hype, methods, charisma - and even memes.
But many believe his party lacked the combustible emotional energy that propels insurgent political outfits. Kishor's refusal to contest a seat himself may have deepened doubts about whether he was running an experiment or offering an alternative.
The Bihar verdict laid bare a structural truth of Indian politics: attention is not organisation, and media hype without ground strength can backfire.
As Raj notes, Jan Suraaj "failed to become a serious contender on any seat", and even its modest vote share "shows the gap between visibility and strength". The party has recognition but no natural social base - no caste, religious, gender or urban constituencies like its rivals, he says.
Verma puts it more bluntly: start-ups fail more often than they succeed - in business and in politics.
"We tend to remember only the successes, but most new parties fail," he adds.
Building a party requires visibility, organisation, mobilisation and the right candidates - each a separate challenge, especially without a track record of voters trust, says Verma. Jan Suraaj fielded candidates in all 243 seats, most of them first-timers.
What does the failure of Kishor's high-profile Jan Suraaj tell us about Indian voters? Kishor drew crowds wherever he campaigned, was articulate and dominated media coverage - yet his party lost to a coalition led by 74-year-old veteran Nitish Kumar, whom he had bet would never return to power.
"Indian voters today are more politically aware and issue-sensitive than ever before, but they also remain deeply pragmatic. They often appreciate the freshness of a new agenda but tend to 'vote safe' unless convinced of a party's viability," says Raj.
He believes Jan Suraaj's focus on governance, jobs and migration was coherent and appealing, but without a charismatic electoral face, voters struggled to see it as a winning alternative.
By contrast, AAP's early success in Delhi hinged on anti-corruption campaigner Arvind Kejriwal personally contesting against Sheila Dikshit, the then chief minister of Delhi, a symbolic act that converted volunteers into voters.
"Kishor's decision to stay away from contesting limited that emotional connect and credibility. For new parties, a compelling agenda matters, but a relatable, risk taking leader who embodies that agenda is often the tipping point," says Raj.
Yet, this may not be the end for Kishor's party. In the past, he has promised to stay in Bihar and strengthen its grassroots presence and agenda if he lost the polls.
Raj believes if Jan Suraaj can maintain a steady ground presence, cultivate local leadership and avoid the "post-election dormancy" that traps many new parties, it may gradually convert attention into influence.
"Bihar's political landscape is fluid, traditional caste loyalties are evolving and there is a growing appetite for credible alternatives. If Kishor chooses to lead from the front politically rather than strategically, and continues the grassroots engagement beyond the electoral cycle, Jan Suraaj could become a meaningful electoral force by 2030," he says.
As one local voter put it to a reporter in a village in Bihar: "People might respond to [Kishor] in the next election. This time, he's just getting his feet wet - he's not some superhero who can soar immediately."
Source: BBC
Related Posts: Prashant Kishor’s Team Blames Poll Body Over Dual Voter Entries In Bihar Will Prashant Kishor Quit Politics If JD(U) Wins Over 25 Seats In Bihar Why Prashant Kishor might end up hurting the BJP in Bihar Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea by Prashant Kishor’s party seeking fresh polls in Bihar Nitish Kumar, Tejashwi Yadav or Prashant Kishor — Who is leading the CM race in Bihar Prashant Kishor says it was a ‘mistake’ not to contest Bihar polls himself EC seeks Prashant Kishor’s response to report saying he is registered as voter in Bihar and Bengal Prashant Kishor has raised hundreds of crores of rupees through shell companies Jan Suraaj Party’s Prashant Kishor says he will contest Bihar polls Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party moves SC challenging Bihar elections
Societal norms often lead to the selective enforcement of laws, with many minor infractions overlooked. This article explores how such leniency can desensitize individuals to the impact of their actions, as seen in a recent incident involving cricketer Arshdeep Singh
2 minutes ago
Talking about international partnerships, PM Modi said India’s growing ties with global companies and countries would create new opportunities for young people. Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly recruited candidates during the 19th Rozgar Mela
2 minutes ago
The IMD has predicted that heavy rain and sudden hailstorms will lash multiple states on May 23 while a severe heat wave continues to scorch the northern and central plains. 23 May IMD weather forecast: As the plains of North India battle an intense multi-state heat wave
2 minutes ago
The Archaeological Survey of India’s circular in December on tourist guides at Red Fort has opened a larger debate: who gets to interpret the past? The circular states that only guides licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and endorsed by the Archaeological Survey of India may offer services inside
2 minutes ago
Dipika Kakar’s father-in-law in ICU after suffering stroke, Shoaib Ibrahim seeks prayers: ‘24 hrs are crucial’Shoaib Ibrahim took to Instagram to inform fans that his father has been hospitalised once again after suffering another stroke. May 24, 2026
1 minutes ago
Oleksandr Usyk struck lucky to retain his world heavyweight titles in Egypt with a highly controversial 11th-round stoppage win against boxing novice Rico Verhoeven. Verhoeven, in just his second professional boxing fight, was the clear aggressor for long spells
2 minutes ago
Who is Jordan Love's wife Ronika Stone? All on Green Bay Packers star's married lifeThe couple marked their daughter’s first month since birth by sharing photos – one of Ronika Stone in the hospital and Jordan Love holding the newborn. Published on: May 24
3 minutes ago
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi as part of a four-day visit to the country. Rubio arrived in the eastern city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) on Saturday morning before travelling to the capital
2 minutes ago
Apple is all set to host its biggest software event of the year, Worldiwde developer conference (WWDC) at the company's Cupertino based headquarters next month. The company has already hinted at upcoming ‘AI advancements’ coming at WWDC and we are now seeing signs of how big the actual
1 minutes ago
'Me & JD6 are good': Abdul Carter downplays rift with Jaxson Dart after criticizing Trump rally appearanceAbdul Carter made headlines after reposting the viral moment with a sarcastic comment questioning Jaxson Dart's appearance at Donald Trump's rally. Published on: May 24
3 minutes ago
India's foreign exchange reserves fell by more than $8 billion to $688.8 billion in the week ending May 15, data from the Reserve Bank of India showed on Friday. In rupee terms, the decline in the foreign exchange reserves amounts to Rs 24,874 crore. Foreign currency assets
2 minutes ago
Jana Nayagan co-producer meets Tamil Nadu CM Vijay, internet wants to know release date of the delayed filmVijay-starrer Jana Nayagan was set to release in January, but was delayed after CBFC did not certify it in time. It was later leaked online. May 23, 2026
1 days ago
Special Dividend Alert: 3M India on Friday announced a final dividend of ₹160 per share along with a special dividend of ₹346 per share, taking the total payout for shareholders to ₹506 per equity share with a face value of ₹10. The company has fixed July 17, 2026
1 days ago
, the videoconferencing company, has netted about $1 billion on an investment it made in artificial intelligence startup Anthropic PBC in early 2023.The total value of ’s stake in the rapidly ascendant AI company is worth about $1.27 billion, according to a regulatory filing Friday
1 days ago
Bolivian riot police clashed with anti-government protesters in La Paz on Friday (May 22, 2026) for the second time in a week as unions and Indigenous groups pressed their calls for President Rodrigo Paz to step down. Demands for the business-friendly conservative to resign have persisted despite
1 days ago
The United States immigration authorities have partially softened newly announced green card rules after the policy triggered concern among foreign professionals, particularly Indian workers living in the country on temporary visas. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Friday
1 days ago
A fire broke out at an oil depot in the southern Russian port of Novorossiysk following a Ukrainian drone attack, the city's mayor said on Saturday (May 23, 2026). "As a result of falling UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) debris, a fire broke out at the oil depot
1 days ago
There is something deeply comforting about ending the evening with a traditional Indian sweet and a hot cup of chai. And when it comes to nostalgic desserts that instantly bring warmth and celebration to the table, Mysore Pak continues to remain a favourite across households
1 days ago
A newt dawn: Wknd talks to Whitley awardee Barkha Subba about her fight for salamandersThey walked among the dinosaurs. Now, they are in danger. There may be only 5,000 Himalayan salamanders left in the wild in India, Subba says. Published on: May 23
1 days ago
Indian woman praises China’s cleanliness, questions civic sense in India: ‘You won’t find a single wrapper’An Indian woman said China’s cleanliness proved civic sense mattered more than population. Published on: May 23, 2026 2:03 PM IST By Mahipal Singh Chouhan Share via Copy link An
1 days ago
Nita Ambani left in splits as student slips Mumbai Indians joke into DAIS graduation speechA Mumbai Indians joke cracked by the head boy of the DAIS' 2026 graduating class left the entire auditorium, including Nita Ambani, laughing. Published on: May 23
1 days ago
Kerala HM announces 'Operation Toofan' anti-narcotics campaignKerala HM announces 'Operation Toofan' anti-narcotics campaign Published on: May 23, 2026 2:24 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday announced a comprehensive statewide
1 days ago
Mamata’s Lakshmir Bhandar gave Bengal women Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,700 a month based on category. Adhikari’s Annapurna Yojana scraps the categories and doubles it to a flat Rs 3,000. Bengal has a new scheme that is putting real money directly into women’s hands every month — and it is bigger than
1 days ago
Chopper crash near Leh: Injured major general poses, pilot flashes 'victory' sign in viral selfieAn Army Cheetah chopper crashed near Leh in eastern Ladakh last week. An image from the crash site is now viral. Updated on: May 23, 2026 2:36 PM IST By Rahul Singh Share via Copy link Three days after
1 days ago
Hamza Burhan, a key operative linked to the Pakistan-backed terror outfit Al-Badr, who also worked as an Over Ground Worker (OGW) during the Pulwama terror attack period, was killed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Thursday. Several wanted Pakistan-based terrorists
1 days ago
Nothing says summer quite like a chilled, fruity mocktail. As temperatures continue to rise, refreshing drinks packed with tropical flavours, citrusy notes, and vibrant ingredients are becoming the perfect way to cool down. Whether you are hosting a weekend brunch, planning a house party
1 days ago
Do you have greasy flakes on nose and scalp? Dermatologist explains what you are doing wrongSeborrheic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition that manifests in the form of greasy flakes on the nose and scalp. Dr Abigail Waldman shares what to do. Updated on: May 23
1 days ago
