Meet Preeti: Jan Suraaj's Transgender Candidate Challenging Bihar's Education Minister in Assembly Polls

Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party has positioned Preeti against a prominent state minister in the Bihar Assembly elections.

Among the 51 candidates introduced by Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party on Thursday was an impressive array of professionals including doctors, lawyers, former bureaucrats, and police officers. Notably, the party has also nominated Preeti Kinnar, a transgender woman, as one of their candidates.

Preeti will be contesting from Bhorey constituency in Bihar's Gopalganj district. As a social activist, she will face the incumbent MLA Sunil Kumar, who currently serves as Nitish Kumar's education minister in the state government.

In his conversation with NDTV on Thursday, Kishor, who transitioned from poll strategist to politician, explained that candidates were selected based on their community service record. He emphasized that if such deserving candidates were not elected, it would reflect the choices of Bihar's citizens rather than his party's strategy. "If you don't vote for such people, then it is not a burden on Prashant Kishor. This is a burden on the shoulders of the people of Bihar," stated the Jan Suraaj Party leader whose organization is participating in elections for the first time and is considered a potential game-changer.

The party's candidate roster includes distinguished figures like KC Sinha, a renowned mathematician who previously served as Vice Chancellor of Patna University. His textbooks have been standard educational materials in Bihar's schools for generations.

Another notable candidate is YB Giri from Manjhi, who formerly held positions as Additional Advocate General of Bihar and Additional Solicitor General of India for central government cases in the Patna High Court.

Reports indicate that Preeti, who resides in Kalyanpur village of Bhore block, has been engaged in social work for an extended period. The party believes her deep understanding of local issues will enable her to effectively represent common citizens' concerns in the Legislative Assembly.

While transgender candidates have been participating in Indian elections for over ten years, electoral success remains rare for the community. Earlier this year, a transgender independent candidate in Delhi's assembly elections received just 85 votes. Last year, all three transgender candidates who contested in the Lok Sabha elections lost their security deposits, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the community in achieving meaningful political representation in India.