Prashant Kishor's Candid Reflection: Jan Suraaj's Electoral Setback and Renewed Commitment to Bihar Politics

Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor spoke to NDTV editor-in-chief Rahul Kanwal in Walk The Talk

Patna:

The Jan Suraaj Party's rout in the Bihar Assembly polls was a "huge shock", its leader Prashant Kishor told NDTV today, adding that he has not slept properly since the poll results were declared last week. In Walk The Talk with NDTV's Editor-in-Chief, Rahul Kanwal, Kishor said he would continue his efforts in Bihar's political arena and repeated the saying, "You are not defeated till you quit".

READ: "Rs 10,000 To Women Big Factor In Bihar Verdict": Prashant Kishor Exclusive

This is the poll strategist-turned-politician's first interview after the Jan Suraaj Party's dismal performance in its electoral debut.

When questioned about the results, Kishor explained that while his party did not achieve electoral success, they successfully shifted Bihar's political discourse beyond caste and religion towards substantive issues like employment and migration.

READ: "May Be Mistake For Me To Not Contest Bihar Polls": Prashant Kishor To NDTV

Kishor identified four key voter segments in Bihar: those voting along caste lines, those voting based on religion, those supporting NDA due to fear of Lalu Yadav's return, and those backing the opposition out of concern regarding BJP. He noted that Jan Suraaj managed to influence the first two groups but couldn't make inroads with the latter two.

"BJP Had Two MPs Once"

The Jan Suraaj Party leader remained resolute about continuing his political journey. "The BJP too had just two MPs once. When you establish a new party, such results can occur, but have the people of Prashant Kishor and Jan Suraaj abandoned principles? We refused to exploit caste and religious divisions. We will persevere," he stated, reaffirming his decade-long commitment to Bihar's development.

Kishor admitted his surprise at Jan Suraaj securing only about 4 percent vote share. Unlike his previous work as an election strategist, he didn't conduct pre-election surveys this time. "I proceeded without data. I estimated we would receive 12-15 percent of votes. However, we achieved only 3.5 percent, necessitating careful analysis," he acknowledged.

READ: "No Consultancy, Next 5 Years Will Focus On Bihar": Prashant Kishor To NDTV

When asked if his enthusiasm and his party's political momentum would last five years, Kishor responded, "I committed 10 years to this endeavor in Bihar. Approximately three and a half years have elapsed. Certainly, I hadn't planned for success only in the tenth year. We were confident of achieving success within three years. That didn't materialize. We will make another attempt."

"JDU Shouldn't Have Got More Than 25 Seats"

Prior to the elections, Kishor had predicted the ruling JDU wouldn't win more than 25 seats, yet Nitish Kumar's party secured 85 seats. Addressing this discrepancy, he highlighted the Rs 10,000 self-employment assistance distributed to 1.2 crore women before the elections. He pointed out that the state government allocated over Rs 100 crore in each of the 243 constituencies.

"I firmly maintain that JDU shouldn't have won more than 25 seats. Now that they've 'secured' 80 plus seats, people claim 'your analysis was flawed'. It appears incorrect superficially... but examining closely, a significant factor was the government's distribution of Rs 100 crore to Rs 125 crore to voters before the election, with approximately 60,000 to 62,000 individuals receiving Rs 10,000 each," he explained.