NEW DELHI: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor has claimed that the unusually high voter turnout in the Bihar assembly elections is a direct sign that “winds of change” are blowing in the state. Kishor further claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to “instil fear” to retain power because the NDA has “nothing else to offer”.Addressing supporters in Supaul, the Jan Suraaj founder said analysts had been confidently predicting the outcome, but “no one predicted that Bihar would have the highest voter turnout in the country’s political history”. He argued that the scale of voting shows voters are seeking an alternative after decades of the same politics. “The sheer number of polls shows that change is definitely coming in Bihar,” he said.Kishor, whose party is contesting more than 200 seats in its electoral debut, framed the high participation as evidence that voters are rejecting fear-based appeals. “The PM is trying to get votes by instilling fear of the RJD because he has nothing else to say,” he said. “If you’re saying Jungle Raj shouldn’t return, then why should you? Jan Suraaj is the new alternative.” Kishor dismissed that narrative, insisting that high turnout shows people are voting against fear, not because of it. “More than 60% of Bihar’s population wants change,” he said. “After Jan Suraaj came, people got an alternative. People have given their vote for change.” He also accused the ruling alliance of failing to provide jobs within the state, forcing workers to migrate. According to Kishor, migrant workers who traditionally voted for the NDA had shifted their support. “Earlier, the migrant workers were voting for the NDA… Today they are not. They want factories and jobs in Bihar,” he said, criticising Home Minister Amit Shah for claiming there was no land available for industries. “So if you want to build roads and national highways, then there is land in Bihar, but if you want to build factories for the children of Bihar, then there is no land here?”The first phase of polling on 121 seats saw a turnout of about 65%, significantly higher than both the 2020 assembly elections (57.29%) and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls (56.28%). Officials said this marked the highest voter participation since Independence.Modi, addressing rallies in Aurangabad and Kaimur, claimed the turnout reflected “trust in the track record of Narendra and Nitish”. He warned that voters would reject the RJD, which he accused of bringing “jungle raj”, and repeatedly used the phrase “katta sarkar”, alleging the opposition encouraged gun violence.
