Tejashwi Yadav Dismisses Prashant Kishor's Electoral Impact in Bihar: Exclusive NDTV Interview

RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav shared his perspectives in an exclusive interview with NDTV's Rahul Kanwal.

Patna:

In an exclusive on-the-road interview from Purnia district with NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav firmly stated that poll strategist Prashant Kishor and his newly formed Jan Suraaj party would have 'no impact' on the Bihar election outcome, despite making their electoral debut in Thursday's first phase of polling.

When questioned about concerns that Kishor might draw votes away from the RJD - particularly after Kishor highlighted migrant workers returning home for Chhath as a potential 'X factor' - Yadav dismissed such narratives. "This question about which party will damage us or who can help us... the RJD has been pushed into this narrative. Some claimed that Chirag Paswan helped us in the previous election, and now there's speculation that Kishor will steal our votes in this one... but we have nothing to do with this," Yadav responded.

"I have only one belief... that we are going to form the government and Bihar will change."

Yadav's reference to Chirag Paswan recalled tensions between the BJP and JDU during the previous election. When Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party contested independently, the JDU was displeased with what it perceived as covert BJP support for Paswan's campaign, which allegedly cost JDU votes. Consequently, Nitish Kumar's party secured 28 fewer seats compared to its 2015 performance, relegating it to 'junior' status within the NDA, though Kumar retained his position.

The prevailing argument was that Paswan's independent campaign diverted approximately 5.7 percent of votes from the BJP-led alliance, which experienced a total decline of 7.84 percent compared to five years earlier. Simultaneously, the opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by RJD, gained nearly nine percent more than its 2015 results.

Many analysts now view Jan Suraaj as potentially fulfilling a similar 'LJP role' in this election, having ambitiously fielded candidates for all 243 constituencies as a new party attempting to establish a viable 'third front'.

Following record voter turnout in the first phase, Kishor confidently declared to ANI that "change is coming to Bihar" and "a new system is going to be established on November 14" (counting day).

However, the question remains whether Kishor's Jan Suraaj can truly influence the electoral outcome. In NDTV's election special program "Bihar Battleground," psephologists, experts, and political leaders analyzed this possibility, examining the 'Kishor factor' with empirical data.

This analysis suggests Jan Suraaj might affect both coalitions equally by attracting voters from each side, particularly as Kishor appears to be gaining traction among young and educated middle-class voters in a state desperately seeking employment opportunities and economic revitalization.

Yadav, who serves as the opposition alliance's chief ministerial candidate, also downplayed the significance of Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, suggesting that the contest for Bihar would ultimately be between the two major alliances – the ruling coalition led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United and Bharatiya Janata Party, and the opposition Mahagathbandhan, spearheaded by his Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress.

The first phase of polling covered 121 of the state's 243 seats, with a historic voter turnout of 64.66 percent – the highest ever recorded in Bihar's electoral history. Yadav views this as a positive indicator for his alliance.

While conventional political wisdom suggests high turnout often signals anti-incumbency sentiment, recent elections in states like Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP prevailed despite high participation rates, demonstrate this isn't always the case. Nevertheless, Yadav maintained his optimism.

"I have positive feedback from everywhere. People want change... They want a Bihar free from corruption; they want Bihar to be a hub of IT, textiles, food processing, agro-based industry."