In a significant move ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) chief and political strategist-turned-leader Prashant Kishor confirmed that he will not be entering the electoral fray. Citing strategic priorities, Kishor said the decision was taken “in the larger interest of the party” to allow him to dedicate his efforts to the organisation’s broader campaign.

Amid widespread anticipation about whether he would contest from Raghopur or his home seat, Kargahar, Kishor’s name was absent from both of the party’s candidate lists. The Raghopur seat, held by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav since 2015, will instead see JSP field Chanchal Singh. In Kargahar, the party has named Ritesh Ranjan (Pandey) as its contender.

Not Contesting: Kishor Chooses Party Over Polls

Explaining the reasoning behind the move, Kishor said, “The party has decided that I should not contest the assembly polls. And therefore, the party has announced another candidate from Raghopur, against Tejashwi Yadav. It was a decision we took in the larger interest of the party. If I were to contest, it would have distracted me from the necessary organisational work.”

He further clarified that while he had explored the possibility of contesting, he ultimately accepted the party’s directive. “I did go to fight polls, I looked into it, but the party’s decision is most important, and I also stand by it,” he said in an interview with PTI.

Kishor also outlined a bold benchmark for JSP’s electoral performance, saying the party must win at least 150 of the 243 Assembly seats to consider the campaign a success. “A tally less than 150, even if it is 120 or 130, shall be a defeat for me,” he said. “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.”

He rejected the possibility of a hung Assembly and ruled out any post-poll alliances. “I can say with certainty that we will either win handsomely or receive a drubbing. I have been stating on record that I expect a tally of either fewer than 10 seats or more than 150 seats. There is no possibility of anything in between,” Kishor stated.

Jan Suraaj Victory Will Echo Nationwide: Kishor

The former strategist believes a strong mandate for Jan Suraaj could influence political currents across India. “If Jan Suraaj Party wins the Bihar polls, it will have a nationwide impact. The compass of national politics will point in a different direction,” he claimed.

Kishor, who played a critical role in several high-profile election campaigns before entering active politics in 2024, also laid out a tough stance against corruption and criminal networks if his party was voted to power. He promised to dismantle entrenched mafias in land and sand mining, and announced plans to revoke what he described as the “bogus prohibition policy.”

Among JSP’s main campaign promises is a crackdown on corrupt officials. Kishor said the government would act against the “100 most corrupt politicians and bureaucrats” and initiate action to confiscate their unlawful assets within 30 days of taking office.

Turning his attention to the current political establishment, Kishor predicted a major upset for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), saying it is heading for a clear defeat. “The NDA is definitely on its way out, and Nitish Kumar will not return as Chief Minister,” he declared.

Kishor Slams NDA

He criticised the internal state of the NDA, especially the lack of clarity in seat-sharing between the BJP and JD(U). A scheduled press conference to announce the seat division was cancelled recently due to disagreements. “There is complete chaos in NDA, and it was still unclear which seats the BJP would contest and where the JD(U) wants to field its candidates,” Kishor remarked.

He also predicted a dismal performance for JD(U), estimating it could struggle to cross 25 seats. Drawing from past elections, he noted, “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 expressed skepticism about the opposition INDIA bloc’s unity, pointing to ongoing tensions between the Congress and RJD, as well as uncertainty around Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party.

Bihar is set to vote in two phases, on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. Although Kishor will not be contesting, he remains the face and force behind JSP’s campaign as it attempts a major political breakthrough in the state.