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‘Forget systemic change, couldn't even…’: Prashant Kishor on Bihar poll loss
Prashant Kishor said the outcome reflected shortcomings in his own approach and accepted full responsibility for the defeat.
Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday broke his silence on the performance of his party, which failed to win even a single seat in the recently concluded Bihar assembly elections. Speaking in Patna, Prashant Kishor said the results pointed to shortcomings in his own approach and accepted full responsibility for the defeat.
Prashant Kishor admitted the loss reflected his inability to win over voters. “If the public did not show faith in us, then the responsibility for that is completely mine. I take that responsibility 100% on myself, that I could not win the faith of the people of Bihar,” he said.
Calling the campaign an “honest effort” that was “completely unsuccessful,” Kishor said there was “no harm in admitting this.” He added, “Forget about systemic change; we couldn't even bring about a change in power,” though he maintained that Jan Suraaj had “played some role in changing Bihar's politics.”
Reflecting on the party’s performance, Kishor said, “There must have been some mistake in our efforts, in our thinking, in the way we explained that the public had not elected us.”
To observe ‘maun vrat’ as atonement
Kishor also announced a symbolic gesture of atonement, saying he would undertake a day-long silent fast. He explained that his failure lay in not convincing voters about the need for a new political alternative.
“I failed to explain to the people of Bihar the basis on which they should vote and why they should create a new system. Therefore, as atonement, I will observe a day-long silent fast at the Gandhi Bhitiharwa Ashram on November 20th,” he said.
He stressed that while his team may have erred in strategy, they never crossed ethical lines. “We may have made mistakes, but we have not committed any crime. We have not committed the crime of spreading caste-based poison in society. We have not played Hindu-Muslim politics in Bihar. We have not committed the crime of dividing people in the name of religion. We have not committed the crime of giving money to the poor, innocent people of Bihar and buying their votes”.
Dismisses talk of resignation
Responding to questions on whether he would resign after Jan Suraaj failed to win a single seat in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, party founder Prashant Kishor said there was no post for him to resign from.
“What position am I holding that I should resign?” he said, drawing laughter at the press briefing in Patna after a reporter asked if he would retire now that Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) had secured 85 seats, far higher than the “less than 25” he had predicted.
Kishor added that his earlier remark had been misinterpreted. “I had said that if (JDU) gets more than 25 seats, I will retire. From which position should I resign?” he said. He clarified that while he does not hold formal office, he never promised to leave Bihar or stop raising issues affecting people in the state.
PK calls on Modi and Nitish
Kishor said the Bihar verdict must be respected and that the electorate had clearly backed the NDA. He noted that the responsibility now lies with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar to deliver on the promises made during the campaign.
“People have given mandate to NDA; now it's on shoulders of Modi, Nitish to work on fulfilling their poll promises,” news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
Kishor added that while Jan Suraaj had suffered a setback, the party intends to rebuild. “Received setback but will rectify mistakes, build ourselves, come back stronger; no going back for us,” he said at the Patna press conference.
