Prashant Kishor Declines Electoral Contest: Predicts JDU Will Win Fewer Than 25 Seats in Bihar Elections

Prashant Kishor, who transformed from a poll strategist to a politician and founded the Jan Suraaj Party, has confirmed he will not be contesting in the upcoming Bihar elections despite his party making its electoral debut.

In a conversation with PTI, Kishor clarified that he would concentrate on organizational responsibilities rather than standing as a candidate. This decision became evident when Jan Suraaj announced Chanchal Singh as its candidate for the Raghopur Assembly constituency, an area Kishor had previously mentioned as a potential seat for himself alongside his home constituency of Kargahar.

The party had already named Ritesh Ranjan (Pandey) as its Kargahar candidate in its first list. By selecting Chanchal Singh for Raghopur, a traditional RJD stronghold currently represented by Tejashwi Yadav, it became clear that Kishor had opted against personal candidacy.

Kishor explained, "Jan Suraaj decided I should concentrate on organisational work and not contest." This strategic choice allows him to avoid being restricted to a single constituency, enabling him to lead the broader campaign as the party's most prominent figure.

Setting ambitious targets, Kishor stated that achieving fewer than 150 seats would constitute a "defeat" for Jan Suraaj. He boldly predicted the ruling NDA's downfall in Bihar, claiming that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JDU would struggle to secure even 25 seats.

"The NDA is definitely on its way out and Nitish Kumar will not return as Chief Minister," Kishor asserted confidently.

Reflecting on recent political history, he noted, "You do not need to be a psephologist to fathom what is in store for the JD(U). In the last assembly polls, Chirag Paswan staged a revolt just a few days ahead of the announcement of elections and fielded candidates, many of whom were inconsequential, against nominees of Kumar's party, causing its tally to crash to 43."

Kishor also highlighted instability within the opposition, observing, "The situation is no better in the INDIA bloc either. There is a never-ending tiff between RJD and the Congress. And nobody knows if former state minister Mukesh Sahani's Vikassheel Insaan Party is still by their side."

The Bihar Assembly elections for all 243 seats will take place on November 6 and 11, with results scheduled to be announced on November 14.