Prashant Kishor (ANI photo)
NEW DELHI: As Bihar gears up for assembly elections across 243 seats, political strategist-turned-leader Prashant Kishor has confirmed that he will contest the polls, with his political startup Jan Suraaj set to unveil its list of candidates on October 9 — a list he says will be “full of surprises.”The announcement followed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s declaration of the Bihar election schedule, which will be conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results to be announced on November 14. Bihar, with 243 constituencies, has the fourth-largest assembly in India.Speaking to reporters, Kishor said, “The party will declare its list of candidates for the coming assembly polls on October 9 and it will be full of surprises. My name will also be there in the list.”The former poll strategist declined to reveal the constituency he will contest from, saying, “You will come to know on October 9.”When asked about Jan Suraaj’s prospects, Kishor asserted that his party would attract a significant voter base that does not align with either of the major alliances. “In the last polls, the two alliances bagged votes of 72 per cent of voters only. I must clarify that we will get votes of the remaining 28 per cent of the voters. Besides, people say that Jan Suraaj Party will get 10 per cent votes each of both alliances. That means we are expected to get 48 per cent votes of the total electorate in the coming polls,” he said.He added that many believe Jan Suraaj will cut into the vote shares of both the NDA and the INDIA bloc.Kishor also took aim at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, saying, “I am saying it with full confidence that this will be the last election of Nitish Kumar. He will not celebrate the next ‘Makar Sankranti’ (in January 2026) at 1 Anne Marg, the official residence of the Bihar chief minister in the state capital.”He said this election would mark “a new chapter” in Bihar politics as people vote for “the bright future of their children, against migration and unemployment.”The upcoming contest is set to be triangular — the NDA alliance of BJP, JD(U), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Hindustan Awami Morcha, and Rashtriya Lok Shakti Party facing off against the INDIA bloc of RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI, CPM, and Vikasheel Insaan Party, with Jan Suraaj emerging as a new challenger expected to disrupt traditional vote banks.
