Patna, May 18 – Former Union minister and seasoned bureaucrat-turned-politician RCP Singh formally joined the Jan Suraaj Party, led by political strategist Prashant Kishor, ahead of the Bihar assembly elections slated for later this year. Singh also announced the merger of his political outfit, Aap Sabki Awaz, with Kishor’s party during a function held in Patna on Sunday.
Speaking at the event, Singh said, “Both of us will work together to make Bihar a developed state.”
Political Shift Ahead of Elections
RCP Singh, who hails from Nalanda — the hometown of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar — had launched Aap Sabki Awaz in November 2024 after parting ways with the JD(U) and later the BJP. His decision to merge his party with Jan Suraaj marks a strategic move as Bihar gears up for a politically charged election season.From Bureaucrat to Political Leader
An IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Singh first entered the political limelight during his tenure on central deputation, when he came into contact with Nitish Kumar, then the Union Railway Minister, in 1999. Impressed by Singh’s administrative capabilities, Kumar brought him to Bihar in 2005 as his principal secretary after becoming Chief Minister.Singh took voluntary retirement in 2010 and joined the JD(U), rising quickly through the ranks to serve two consecutive terms in the Rajya Sabha and even becoming the party’s national president. However, his 2021 appointment to the Union Cabinet reportedly caused friction with Kumar, leading to Singh stepping down from the JD(U) leadership and being denied another term in the Rajya Sabha.
He subsequently joined the BJP in 2023 before launching his own political outfit in 2024.
