Why PK won’t contest Bihar polls: ‘If I were to contest…’

The announcement has stirred fresh political discussions in Bihar, where Kishor’s growing influence has been closely watched by both the ruling NDA and the INDIA bloc.

“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 said.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, the former political strategist said a “tally of less than 150 seats” for Jan Suraaj will be considered a defeat.

“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.

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The Bihar polls will be held in two phases — on November 6 and November 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.

Raghopur Candidate Named, Organisational Focus Ahead

Kishor confirmed that another party candidate will contest from Raghopur, against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. He reiterated that his priority is building party structures rather than seeking an assembly seat.

“No, I won’t contest. Party has decided… I will continue to do the work I have been doing in the party. I will continue with the organisational work for the larger interest of the party,” Prashant Kishor said.

Asked about his party’s prospects, 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 also ruled out supporting either the NDA or the INDIA bloc in the event of a hung assembly, calling such a scenario “an impossibility.”

‘A Tally Below 150 Will Be a Defeat’

He added, “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).”

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Kishor, wearing his strategist’s hat, predicted a defeat for the NDA in Bihar, citing its inability to finalise seat-sharing and candidates.

He recently said the JD(U) would struggle to win even “25 seats” in the 243-strong Assembly. “The NDA is definitely on its way out, and Nitish Kumar will not return as Chief Minister,” he asserted.

Kishor has previously worked closely with Nitish Kumar — both as a poll analyst and, for a brief period, as a party colleague.

‘Complete Chaos’ in NDA and INDIA Bloc

“You do not need to be a psephologist to fathom what is in store for the JD(U). 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,” recalled Kishor.

He added that there was “complete chaos” in the NDA, with no clarity on seat distribution between BJP and JD(U).

“The situation is no better in the INDIA bloc either. There is a never-ending tiff between RJD and the Congress. And nobody knows if former state minister Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insaan Party is still by their side,” he claimed.