Prashant Kishor Declares He Will Not Contest Bihar Assembly Elections, Says Party’s Strength Comes First
Patna, October 15: Jan Suraaj Party founder and former political strategist Prashant Kishor on Wednesday announced that he will not contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, stating that the decision has been taken in the larger interest of the party to focus on strengthening its organizational base.
As per agency report, Kishor, in an exclusive interview with PTI-Bhasha, said that if his party fails to secure at least 150 seats in the elections, it would be considered his personal defeat. He asserted that a victory for Jan Suraaj Party would have a far-reaching impact on national politics and could potentially change the direction of India’s political landscape.
The Bihar Assembly elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. Kishor said that the party had collectively decided that he should not contest the polls, explaining that his involvement in the electoral race might divert his attention from critical organizational responsibilities. Consequently, the party has decided to field another candidate from Raghopur, where he was earlier expected to take on RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
Kishor, who rose to prominence after designing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful campaign strategy for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, created a political stir with his announcement. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) reacted sharply, with spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari claiming that Kishor’s decision was an admission of an impending defeat. He said Kishor had “accepted the party’s loss even before the battle began.”
Responding to criticism, Kishor maintained that the Jan Suraaj Party would either achieve a decisive victory or face a complete loss, adding that “there will be no middle ground.” He reiterated that winning fewer than 150 seats, even if the tally reached 120 or 130, would still be considered a defeat.
Kishor emphasized that if given full public support, his party would work to include Bihar among the ten most developed states in India. However, if the results did not favor Jan Suraaj, he said it would indicate a lack of sufficient trust from the people, and the party would continue to engage in “politics of the people and the streets.”
Predicting a poor performance by the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Kishor said the coalition was in disarray, struggling with seat-sharing and candidate selection, and asserted that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would not return to power. He noted that the Janata Dal (United) was in an even weaker position than in 2020, when internal rebellion led by Chirag Paswan had reduced its tally to 43 seats.
Taking a dig at the opposition INDIA bloc, Kishor pointed out ongoing tensions between the RJD and the Congress and uncertainty over whether Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party remained part of the alliance.
He also said that if Jan Suraaj came to power, the government’s first step in its opening month would be to confiscate the properties of the state’s 100 most corrupt politicians and officials. Alleging that corruption under the NDA had reached its peak, Kishor said his party had pledged to free Bihar from the sand, land, and liquor mafias, and to repeal what he called a “flawed liquor prohibition law.”
Commenting on the “land-for-jobs” case involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, Kishor said it was no surprise and described it as “a new stain on an already soiled cloth.”
Clarifying that he had no personal ambition to become Chief Minister, Kishor said that nearly 60 percent of Bihar’s population desired change and now had a viable alternative in Jan Suraaj.
He also took aim at both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that neither had a genuine connection with Bihar’s challenges. According to him, they only visit the state occasionally for political rallies and leave after exchanging accusations, without understanding the real struggles of its people.
