Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Political strategist-turned-leader Prashant Kishor has announced that he will not contest the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, asserting that the NDA is in “complete chaos” and predicting that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will not return to power. Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj party, said the decision to stay out was taken “in the larger interest of the organisation” to allow him to focus on strategy rather than personal campaigning.
No Contest from Raghopur, Focus on Party Expansion
Amid speculation that Kishor might take on RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in his Raghopur stronghold, Jan Suraaj’s second candidate list made it clear that Kishor’s name was missing. Instead, activist Chanchal Singh will contest against Tejashwi. “The party has decided that I should not contest the assembly polls. If I were to contest, it would have distracted me from the necessary organisational work,” Kishor told PTI. He added that the party aims either for a strong victory or accepts the possibility of a major defeat, stating, “We will either win handsomely or be reduced to fewer than 10 seats. Anything in between is not possible.”
Sharp Attack on Nitish Kumar and NDA
Kishor reiterated his prediction that JD(U) will struggle to cross 25 seats, claiming Nitish Kumar’s party is facing its worst electoral outlook yet. “The NDA is definitely on its way out and Nitish Kumar will not return as chief minister,” he asserted. Drawing parallels to the 2020 polls when Chirag Paswan’s revolt dented JD(U)’s tally to 43 seats, Kishor said there is “complete chaos” within the alliance over seat distribution. He also said a strong performance by Jan Suraaj could reshape national politics, influencing political dynamics beyond Bihar.