How Did Prashant Kishor's Party Perform In His Debut Election?

In his maiden election, poll strategist Prashant Kishor's newly established Jan Suraaj party has failed to open its account in Bihar by-polls which was held on November 13.

The BJP-led NDA has secured a significant victory in Bihar's by-elections, winning all four contested seats: Tarari, Ramgarh, Belaganj, and Imamganj. This outcome has been a major setback for Prashant Kishor's newly established Jan Suraaj party, which failed to secure any seats. The by-elections took place on November 13, and the results have put an end to Kishor's earlier claims of making major parties "bite the dust" before the upcoming Assembly elections.

Jan Suraaj's Disappointing Debut

Prashant Kishor had launched Jan Suraaj on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti. He had been actively engaging with the public through 'Padyatras' across Bihar. During the launch event, Kishor urged people to raise their voices against derogatory perceptions of Biharis. He emphasised that their voices should reach Delhi and other regions where Biharis faced discrimination.

The by-elections were crucial for Kishor as they marked his party's first electoral test. However, the results favoured the BJP-led NDA, leaving Jan Suraaj without any victories. This outcome challenges Kishor's vision of transforming Bihar politics ahead of next year's Assembly elections.

BJP-Led NDA Triumphs

The four seats became vacant after their respective MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha from different constituencies. Sudama Prasad from Tarari won in Bhojpur, while Sudhakar Singh from Ramgarh secured a seat in Buxar. Jitan Ram Manjhi vacated Imamganj after winning Gaya (Reserved) and becoming a Union Minister. Surendra Prasad from Belaganj was elected from Jehanabad.

Kishor had claimed that Jan Suraaj would challenge major parties in these by-polls before contesting all 243 Assembly seats next year. Despite his efforts and groundwork over two years prior to official recognition by the Election Commission of India, his party failed to make an impact in this electoral test.

Prashant Kishor was a succesful poll strategist who had played a key role in bringing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power in his first tenure.

Later, he worked with regional parties such as DMK in Tamil Nadu, YSRCP in Andhra, TMC in Bengal, etc. Now, he has set his eyes on the Bihar Assembly polls in 2025.