Prashant Kishor (ANI image)
NEW DELHI: Jan Suraaj supremo Prashant Kishor on Tuesday said he takes ‘100 per cent responsibility’ for his party’s poor performance in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. This was his first reaction after the poll verdict.Interacting with reporters in Patna, Kishor admitted: “We made an honest effort, but it was completely unsuccessful. There’s no harm in admitting this. Forget about systemic change; we couldn’t even bring about a change in power. But we certainly played some role in changing Bihar’s politics… There must have been some mistake in our efforts, in our thinking, in the way we explained that the public had not elected us. 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.” Kishor has also vowed to observe a ‘maun upvas’ (vow of silence) for “failing to change the government”. As an act of atonement, he announced that he will undertake a day-long silent fast at the Gandhi Bhitiharwa Ashram on November 20. “I will work twice as hard as you’ve seen me work over the past three years and put in all my energy. There’s no question of backing down. There’s no turning back until I fulfil my resolve to make Bihar better. 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,” Kishor said.The Jan Suraaj Party got 0 seats in the election, a stunning outcome for a new entrant once pitched as the “third force” in the bitterly contested battle between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which secured 202 seats and the Mahagathbandhan (MGB), which won 35.Responding to questions on whether he would resign after the defeat, Kishor dismissed the idea. The Jan Suraaj chief said that he was not holding any official post to step down from. “What position am I holding that I should resign? I had said that if (JDU) gets more than 25 seats, I will retire. From which position should I resign? I did not say that I will leave Bihar. I have left politics. I do not do politics, but I did not say that I will stop speaking for the people of Bihar,” he said. Kishor also vowed to continue his campaign in Bihar with greater determination despite the setback. He said he would intensify his efforts on the ground and not retreat from his mission to reform the state.”I will work twice as hard as you’ve seen me work over the past three years and put in all my energy. There’s no question of backing down. There’s no turning back until I fulfil my resolve to make Bihar better,” he said. He further acknowledged shortcomings in communicating his message to voters and said he would atone for it with a symbolic gesture.“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… 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,” Kishor added. For years, Prashant Kishor was regarded as one of India’s most successful political strategists and was known as the man behind a string of high-profile electoral wins. But his most anticipated venture, Jan Suraaj, has turned into a spectacular failure. Launched after an extended “padyatra” in Bihar, the party fielded 236 candidates, drawing heavily on social-media outreach and promising a new brand of politics focused on meritocracy, youth migration, jobs and improved governance.Despite the high-profile campaign, the party lost its deposit in 236 of the 238 seats it contested. While Jan Suraaj had staked much on converting social-media traction into votes, the strategy evidently faltered in a state where caste affiliation, local networks and long-standing alliances retain deep influence.The Bihar Assembly elections were conducted in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with the results declared on November 14. Go to Source
