Bihar Election 2025: Prashant Kishor’s bold prediction for Jan Suraaj — ‘either under 10 seats or…'

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor predicted that his party would either win "handsomely" or receive a "drubbing" in the 2025 Bihar Election. In an exclusive interview with PTI, the former political strategist said a "tally of less than 150 seats" for Jan Suraaj will be considered a defeat.

What did Prashant Kishor predict for Jan Suraaj?

Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor told PTI in an interview that the Jan Suraaj will either be a winner or face a "drubbing" in the Bihar Election 2025.

He expects "either fewer than 10 seats or more than 150 seats" for the Jan Suraaj, “nothing in between”.

When asked about his party’s prospects in the elections, the 48-year-old Kishor said, “I can say with certainty that we will be either winning handsomely or receiving a drubbing.”

"I have been stating on record that I expect a tally of either fewer than 10 seats or more than 150 seats. There is no possibility of anything in between," Prashant Kishor said.

Kishor said, "A tally less than 150, even if it is 120 or 130, shall be a personal defeat for me."

Notably, a political party or alliance needs to win at least 122 of the total 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly to form the government in the state.

"If we do well, we will have the mandate to transform Bihar and make it count among the 10 most advanced states of the country. If we do not do well enough, it would mean the people have not shown enough confidence in us, and we must continue to carry on with our politics of the street and society (samaj aur sadak ki rajneeti)," Prashant Kishor was quoted as saying.

What did Prashant Kishor say
for NDA, JD(U)?

During the interview, Kishor, who is now a politician and has decided not to contest the Bihar elections, predicted that the ruling NDA in Bihar will certainly be defeated, citing the inability of the BJP-led coalition to finalise seats and candidates.

Kishor, who recently said the JD(U) would struggle to win even "25 seats" in the 243-strong assembly, claimed that the picture has only grown bleaker for the party headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

“The NDA is definitely on its way out and Nitish Kumar will not return as chief minister,” asserted Kishor, who has worked closely with the JD(U) supremo, both as a poll analyst and later, for a brief period, as a party colleague.

'I won't contest' Bihar Election 2025

Prashant Kishor said he won't contest the 2025 Bihar Election. "No, I won't contest. The party (Jan Suraaj) has decided... I will continue to do the work I have been doing in the party. I will continue with the organisational work for the larger interest of the party," Kishor said.

Bihar Election 2025

Elections to the 243-member Bihar Assembly will take place in two phases. The voting in the first phase will be held on November 6, and that in the second phase will be held on November 11. The results will be declared on November 14.

The NDA announced its seat-sharing arrangement on Sunday. As per the pact, the BJP and Janata Dal (United) will contest 101 seats each, while the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will contest 29 seats. The Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) will contest six seats each.

Meanwhile, the opposition Mahagathbandhan comprises the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress, Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party and left parties. Discussions have been held by Congress leadership with leaders of its Bihar unit.

Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj is contesting the Bihar Election for the first time in 2025.