Prashant Kishor announced that he will not be contesting the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections.
He said this was a party decision, made so that he could focus on organisational work for the polls.
He predicted a loss for the NDA alliance, highlighted instability in the INDIA bloc, and expected either 10 or 150 seats for Jan Suraaj.
Prashant Kishor announced on Wednesday, 15 October 2025, that he will not be contesting the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections. Speaking to the Press Trust of India (PTI), Kishor said that the decision was made in the larger interest of his party, Jan Suraaj (JSP).
Kishor clarified that this was a party decision made so that he could focus on organisational work for the polls. It had earlier been speculated that Kishor would contest from Raghopur, facing RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav. But on 14 October 2025, JSP nominated Chanchal Singh, a local businessman and political activist, for the seat. Most of JSP’s declared candidates are fresh faces in the Assembly arena.
When questioned about his party’s prospects, Kishor said that he expected results only in extremes – either less than ten seats or more than 150. The Bihar Assembly has 243 seats, with 122 seats needed for a majority.
Kishor declared that he would personally consider anything less than 150 seats a defeat for Jan Suraaj Party. He said a win for the party will allow it to transform Bihar, putting it amongst the most developed states in India. He added that if JSP loses, however, that would mean that the party hasn’t gained the confidence of the people yet and would need to continue its grassroot campaigns.
Kishor proclaimed that JSP winning the polls will realign the nation’s political compass.
When asked about any possibility of seat-sharing with either the NDA or UPA alliances, he simply replied that any joint mandate would not be feasible.
He also pointed to uncertainty in the INDIA bloc, with constant spats between the Congress and the RJD, and the division of seats still undeclared. He highlighted a similar seat-sharing issue between the BJP and JDU.
Speaking on the NDA, Kishor said that the alliance was unlikely to return. He predicted a defeat in the upcoming polls, with the JDU likely to win only around 25 seats. He pointed to instability in the party and a lack of public support to substantiate his claims.
Kishor previously worked as a political strategist before founding the Jan Suraaj Party. He has planned several successful campaigns over the years – he was behind the BJP’s Lok Sabha win in 2014, Nitish Kumar’s Vidhan Sabha win in 2015, the YSRCP’s win in Andhra Pradesh in 2019, and the AAP’s win in Delhi in 2020, amongst others.
He has worked with numerous parties, with an almost perfect track record – his only loss was in 2016, when he failed to help the INC win Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections. [Rh/DS]
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