How Prashant Kishor’s viral photo of meet with Bihar officials sparked political waves

A day after a photograph showing Jan Suraaj founder and Bankipur MLA Prashant Kishor with Bihar’s top administrative and police officials triggered questions over the nature of the meeting, the Chief Secretary’s office on Friday issued a clarification saying Kishor had met the chief secretary separately in the visitors’ room while another meeting involving several senior officers was already underway.

The clarification came a day after Kishor met Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, following which photographs showed him in the presence of senior officials, including the Director General of Police, the Additional Director General of Police (Traffic) and the Patna Commissioner, sparking a debate on senior officials’ presence in connection with a first-time MLA’s constituency issues.

In a press release Friday, the chief secretary’s office said Kishor had sought an appointment through a letter dated August 20 and was given time on August 27. “On 27.08.2026, another meeting was being conducted in the chamber of the Chief Secretary, in which several officers were present,” it said.

According to the release, the chief secretary subsequently met Kishor in the “visitor's room”, where “certain officers were already present”. It also said that meetings with elected representatives have traditionally been held in the visitors’ room.

Meanwhile, the official account differs in emphasis from the impression created by the photograph and Kishor’s own description of the meeting. The photo led many social media users to comment on the unusual sight of the entire top brass of the Bihar government attending to a first-time MLA’s constituency issues.

Kishor, who took oath as the Bankipur MLA on August 17, had said after the meeting that it was partly a follow-up to his August 18 meeting with DGP Vinay Kumar, where he had raised issues concerning traffic, dry intoxication and alleged illegal collections from roadside vendors.

Kishor had said that the Thursday meeting with the CS was regarding non-police issues and related to civic and welfare issues. The August 27 meeting was the second high-level interaction involving Kishor within days of his assuming office.

His August 18 meeting with the DGP had focused on finding a permanent, technology-based solution to Patna’s traffic problems, tackling dry intoxication and preventing alleged illegal collections from street vendors. However, many see the clarification from the CS office as a political chain reaction after the attention surrounding the photograph.

Kishor won the July 30 Bankipur bypoll with 64,151 votes, beating BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha and ending the BJP’s three-decade hold over the assembly constituency. Bankipur had been represented by Nitin Nabin, who vacated the seat after his elevation to the Rajya Sabha following his appointment as BJP national president in January.

Himanshu Harsh is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, currently leading on-the-ground coverage in Bihar. With a reporting career rooted in the complexities of the National Capital Region (NCR), Himanshu specializes in the critical intersection of law, crime, and civic governance.

Professional Expertise & Credentials An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Himanshu brings a rigorous academic foundation to his investigative work. His expertise is characterized by a "ground-up" reporting style, most notably demonstrated during his extensive coverage of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where he analyzed shifting political landscapes and grassroots sentiment.

Specialized Beats Himanshu’s portfolio reflects versatility, allowing him to navigate diverse industries and social issues: Civic & Legal Affairs: Extensive experience covering the Delhi reporting beat, focusing on policy implementation and judicial impact.

Automotive Industry: A technical background in reporting on India’s evolving transport and automotive sectors. Social Fabric & Human Interest: Beyond hard news, he is known for exploring the changing social dynamics of India’s urban and rural heartlands, bringing a human-centric lens to systemic issues.

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