NEW DELHI: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday said he would “definitely quit politics” if the Nitish Kumar government fulfils its pre-poll promise of giving Rs 2 lakh each to 1.5 crore people in Bihar. His remarks came a day after he conceded defeat in the state elections and acknowledged that he had failed to win public trust. Addressing reporters in Patna, Kishor said, “I could not win the faith of the people of Bihar,” adding that he would observe a day-long “Maun Upvas” as a form of atonement. Asked whether he would resign after the loss, Kishor said he held no 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 said he would intensify his work in the state despite the defeat. “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 added. He said he fully accepted responsibility for Jan Suraaj’s electoral setback. “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,” he said. The Jan Suraaj Party failed to win a single seat, despite contesting 238 constituencies. The results reaffirmed the dominance of the National Democratic Alliance, which secured 202 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan finished with 35. He said he would undertake a day-long fast on November 20 as a gesture of accountability. “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… 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,” he said.Once regarded as one of India’s most successful election strategists, Kishor launched Jan Suraaj after a prolonged padyatra in Bihar, promising a new model of politics centred on governance, jobs and reducing migration. Despite a high-profile campaign and strong online visibility, the party lost deposits in nearly all seats, underscoring the influence of caste networks and established alliances in Bihar’s politics.The two-phase Bihar Assembly election was held on November 6 and 11, with results declared on November 14.