Tarkishore Prasad is an Indian Politician from the Bhartiya Janata Party most known for his term in office as the 5th Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar from 16 November to 9 August 2022. Tarkishore Prasad was born in Saharsa, Bihar to a businessman father running a cloth business. His father’s role in his life was important in helping him develop a sense of responsibility and ambition from a tender age.

His educational journey led him to study science at Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga, where pursued his higher education in the sciences. However, it was in college that he joined the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s(RSS) youth wing.

His foray into student politics was inspired by his interest in the nationalist vision of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), which is often regarded as the ideological wing of the BJP. The time he spent with the organization was what heavily influenced his decision to pursue a career in politics.

Between 1984 and 1985, Prasad transitioned from a member of a student politics association to mainstream national politics by joining the BJP, driven by the nationalist vision and ideology that had initially inspired him towards the RSS. He was seen as a politician with respect for the party’s principles who had a good understanding of grassroots politics due to his background.

The first big moment of his political career was when he contested in 2005 in his constituency of Katihar on a BJP ticket and won. He faced stiff competition and some close margins(won by only 165 votes in 2005) at times during elections but ultimately managed to solidify his position as a prominent political leader in his home state of Bihar.

Prasad has been described by many within his party as a low-key leader, one that is perhaps not as familiar a face to the Bihar public as his rivals and counterparts, for example, Nitish Kumar- but has nevertheless gained repute within his party as he was appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar in 2020. Since then, many crucial portfolios such as Finance and commercial taxes, Housing, and Urban Development have been entrusted to him and he is credited with playing a significant role in shaping the overall state of governance in Bihar.