Patna: Jan Suraaj Party founder and political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has called his party’s massive defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections a “huge shock”, admitting in an interview with NDTV that he has barely slept since the results were declared last week. Speaking on Walk The Talk with NDTV’s Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal, Kishor said the verdict has not deterred him and reiterated his long-term commitment to transforming Bihar’s political landscape.
“This result is a big jhatka… but you are not defeated till you quit,” he said, describing the Jan Suraaj Party’s maiden electoral performance as disappointing but not discouraging.
Kishor reflects on the party’s debut and missed expectations
Kishor admitted that he expected Jan Suraaj to secure far more voter support than the 3.5–4 per cent vote share it ended up with. Unlike his earlier election campaigns, where he relied heavily on polls and surveys, he said he chose not to commission any pre-election surveys for Jan Suraaj.
“I played it blind… My estimate was 12–15 per cent vote share. But it came to 3.5 per cent, so we need to analyse,” he said.
Despite the setback, he argued that Jan Suraaj successfully shifted Bihar’s political discourse away from caste and religion to issues such as employment, migration and development—a central promise of his movement.
Four voter groups and Jan Suraaj’s limited impact
Kishor categorised Bihar’s electorate into four groups:
- Those who vote based on caste
- Those who vote based on religion
- Those who support the NDA due to fear of Lalu Yadav’s return
- Those who back the opposition due to fear of the BJP
He claimed Jan Suraaj had managed to “dent” the first two groups but failed to influence the latter two, which remained polarised between the NDA and the opposition.
“BJP too once had only two MPs”
Rejecting speculation that he may withdraw from active politics, Kishor said he remains committed to working in Bihar for at least 10 years—a promise he made when launching the Jan Suraaj movement.
“The BJP too once had just two MPs. When you make a party, such results can come,” he said. “But we did not spread the venom of caste and religion. We will try again.”
He added that around three and a half years of his 10-year commitment have passed, and while he did not expect success in the final year alone, the timeline for achieving substantial impact will now be re-evaluated.
JDU’s victory and the impact of Rs 10,000 assistance to women
Before the elections, Kishor had confidently predicted that the JDU would not cross 25 seats. Instead, the Nitish Kumar-led party won 85 seats, forming a key part of the ruling alliance.
Asked about his earlier prediction, Kishor pointed to the Rs 10,000 self-employment assistance scheme for women, which he said had a decisive impact across the state.
According to him, the Bihar government spent between Rs 100 crore and Rs 125 crore in each of the 243 constituencies ahead of the polls, largely through this scheme. Around 60,000–62,000 women per constituency reportedly received the assistance, significantly influencing voting patterns.
“I firmly believe the JDU shouldn’t have won more than 25 seats… but if the government gives Rs 100–125 crore to people before voting, it changes the scenario,” he said.
Determined to continue
Despite the electoral setback, Kishor said he remains energised and focused on building the Jan Suraaj organisation further in the next five years.
“We were certain we would achieve success in three years… that didn’t happen. We will try again,” he said.
The Jan Suraaj Party, launched with the promise of clean politics, grassroots organisation and governance reform, will undergo internal reviews in the coming months as Kishor prepares for the next phase of his Bihar mission.