Prashant Kishor To Not Contest Bihar Elections, Says 'Decision Taken By Party For Greater Good'

On being asked whether Jan Suraaj would consider supporting either the NDA or the INDIA bloc in case of a hung assembly, he dismissed the idea outright, calling a fractured mandate “an impossibility.”

Prashant Kishor announced that he will not contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.

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Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Wednesday announced that he will not contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, describing the move as a collective decision taken by the party for its "greater good".

The former political strategist, in an exclusive interview with news agency PTI, said that the decision was meant to help him focus on organisational work and strengthen Jan Suraaj’s groundwork ahead of the crucial November polls.

“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,” Kishor explained.

‘Less Than 150 Seats Will Be A Defeat’

Asked about his expectations, the 48-year-old leader said: “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,” he added.

On being asked whether Jan Suraaj would consider supporting either the NDA or the INDIA bloc in case of a hung assembly, he dismissed the idea outright, calling a fractured mandate “an impossibility.”

“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,” Kishor asserted, suggesting that a strong performance could transform the country’s political alignment.

He further emphasised that for him, victory is defined in clear numerical terms. “A tally less than 150, even if it is 120 or 130, shall be a defeat for me. 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. If we do not do well enough, it would mean the people have not shown enough confidence in us, and we must continue to carry on with our politics of the street and society (samaj aur sadak ki rajneeti),” he said.

Kishor’s announcement comes as his campaign continues to gain traction across Bihar, positioning Jan Suraaj as a new alternative amid traditional political alignments in the state.

Bihar will go to the polls in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14. The elections are expected to be one of the most closely watched contests in recent years, as Kishor’s party makes its debut on the state’s political stage.

Earlier there were specualtions that Kishor and Tejashwi Yadav may compete against each other on the Raghopur seat. However, these were put to rest after Jan Suraaj fielded Chanchal Singh as its candidate againt sitting MLA Tejashwi Yadav.