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Prashant Kishor will not contest Bihar polls, citing the larger interest of his Jan Suraaj Party and to focus on campaigning for candidates. With no safe seats for Jan Suraaj, contesting could have risked Kishor’s credibility as a poll strategist in case of defeat.
BY PC Bureau
NEW DELHI, October 15: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor has announced that he will not contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, describing the decision as being for the “greater good” of his fledgling political party. Kishor confirmed this in an exclusive interview with PTI.
Speculation had been rife that Kishor might contest, possibly taking on RJD scion Tejashwi Yadav in his stronghold of Raghopur. With the release of Jan Suraaj’s second list of 65 candidates on Monday, it became clear that Kishor’s name was absent. Instead, the party has fielded political activist Chanchal Singh against Tejashwi. Tejashwi is set to file his nomination from Raghopur on Wednesday, even as seat-sharing issues within the INDIA bloc remain unresolved.
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Why Kishor Chose Not to Contest
A key reason for Kishor’s decision is that he is currently the sole campaigner and organisational force behind Jan Suraaj. Being actively involved in campaigning across multiple constituencies for his party’s candidates, contesting a seat himself could have diverted his time, energy, and focus, potentially adversely impacting the prospects of other party candidates.
Moreover, as a fledgling political party with no safe seats, Jan Suraaj faced the risk that Kishor himself could be defeated if he contested. A loss would not only have been a personal setback, but also affected his reputation as a poll strategist, potentially undermining the credibility he has built over years of guiding major campaigns.
“The party decided that I should not contest the assembly polls. Therefore, another candidate has been announced from Raghopur against Tejashwi Yadav. It was a decision taken in the larger interest of the party. If I were to contest, it would have distracted me from the necessary organisational work,” Kishor said.
He defined what would constitute a successful outcome, saying: “A tally less than 150, even if it is 120 or 130, shall be a defeat for me. If we do well, we will have the mandate to transform Bihar and make it count among the 10 most advanced states of the country. If we do not do well enough, it would mean the people have not shown enough confidence in us, and we must continue with our politics of the street and society (samaj aur sadak ki rajneeti).”
Kishor, who recently predicted that JD(U) would struggle to win even 25 seats in the 243-member assembly, said the outlook for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party has worsened. “The NDA is definitely on its way out, and Nitish Kumar will not return as chief minister,” he asserted.
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Outlook for NDA and JD(U)
Kishor, who recently predicted that JD(U) would struggle to win even 25 seats in the 243-member assembly, said the outlook for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s party has worsened. “The NDA is definitely on its way out, and Nitish Kumar will not return as chief minister,” he asserted.
Drawing on his experience working with JD(U), Kishor recalled the 2015 assembly elections, when Chirag Paswan staged a last-minute revolt, fielding candidates against JD(U) nominees and reducing its tally to 43. “There is complete chaos in the NDA, with uncertainty over BJP seats and JD(U) nominations,” Kishor added.
He also warned that if Jan Suraaj wins the Bihar polls, it could have a nationwide impact, saying: “The compass of national politics will point in a different direction.”
The Bihar assembly elections will be held in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.
