Political strategist Prashant Kishor said in an interview that not the two strong regional parties – Lalu Yadav-led RJD and Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (U) – but Jan Suraaj will win the 2025 Bihar assembly elections.
Jan Suraaj, which is yet to take the shape of a political party, is a movement and campaign launched by Kishor to connect with people and understand the local problems. Kishor had launched 'Jan Suraaj' yatra on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2, 2022.
In an interview with India Today, Prashant Kishor said, "I can tell you in writing that Jan Suraaj will win in Bihar on its own in 2025 [without joining any alliance]...Jan Suraaj will contest 242 assembly seats and will come to power with a majority."
"If this doesn't happen...Then I will leave everything and do whatever you suggest," Kishor said during the interview.
When asked if he will be the chief minister, Kishore said he has not formed the political party yet and has not declared himself a CM candidate.
Kishor had earlier declared that the party, which will be formed after the ongoing 'Jan Suraaj' campaign, will contest the assembly elections in Bihar in 2025. He had said the political party will be formed in the next few months.
Earlier in April, Kishor said that Bihar has a lot of space for a new party as it has "maximum anti-incumbency" following the nearly 35-year rule of ideologically similar formations headed by either Lalu Prasad Yadav or Nitish Kumar.
"Almost similar formations built around Lalu and Nitish have been there for 35 years. They have similar ideologies more or less," he told PTI, noting that issues like social justice, socialism and 'jungle raj' have been there all these years.
"Anti-incumbency is maximum there. There has been no fundamental change in these 35 years. According to me, there is space [for one party]," he said.
