Prashant Kishor entered the Bihar elections promising a break from caste politics and a new model of governance, but Jan Suraaj’s complete wipeout revealed the hard limits of idealism without organisation. His next moves will decide whether this defeat becomes an ending or the foundation of a longer political journey.
By Geeta Singh
Prashant Kishor, the political strategist who once crafted winning strategies for several parties including the BJP, received a stark reminder that even the sharpest minds can stumble when they enter the electoral arena themselves. His Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) failed to win a single seat in the Bihar Assembly elections, marking a humiliating debut. Contesting 238 out of 243 seats, JSP’s ambitious attempt to position itself as a “third force” against the entrenched NDA and Mahagathbandhan alliances collapsed, with the party trailing in every constituency. He entered the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections with the weight of national expectations and the ambition to rewrite the state’s political rules. His party, Jan Suraaj, promised a clean break from caste driven politics and a fresh model of governance. What followed was a dramatic collapse that revealed the limits of idealism in a state where electoral loyalty is still built from the bottom up.
Rise of an Unusual Contender
As Bihar watches the final numbers settle, the spotlight is not only on the ruling NDA or the Mahagathbandhan. It is on a man who spent years operating behind the scenes and then chose to step into the fire himself. Prashant Kishor, once India’s most sought after political strategist, attempted to become India’s next major political leader through a carefully constructed movement called Jan Suraaj.
For more than three years, Kishor walked across Bihar. His padyatra covered more than 3,000 kilometres and took him through villages, towns and migrant clusters. He launched Jan Suraaj formally on 2 October 2024, promising to replace old style caste politics with governance first politics. His campaign message was sharp and simple. Bihar deserves better. Bihar deserves competence. Bihar deserves a break from its political past.
The padyatra gave Kishor visibility. It gave him credibility. But it did not give him the one thing every challenger in Bihar needs. A solid organisational spine.
Idealism Collides with Bihar’s Electoral Reality
Jan Suraaj contested 238 out of 243 seats. It won zero.
The wipeout did not come out of nowhere. Cracks inside the party began appearing even before polling was completed. Several candidates, including Dr Shashi Shekhar Sinha in Gopalganj, Dr Satya Prakash Tiwari in Buxar and Akhilesh Kumar, also known as Mutor Sao, in Danapur walked out during the election. Their exit was not just a loss of numbers. It was a sign that the party’s inner structure was far weaker than the public narrative suggested.
Local organisers expressed frustration. In Patna’s Kumhrar constituency, workers said they had mobilised people and raised money, only to see the ticket handed to outsiders such as former Patna University vice chancellor KC Sinha. The workers felt ignored and undervalued. Their complaint captured the central flaw. Jan Suraaj had passion but not discipline. It had volunteers but not leaders who could hold constituencies on their shoulders.
A Debut That Sparked Buzz but Delivered None
Election day offered a brief moment of optimism. Jan Suraaj gained early leads in four constituencies, including Chainpur and Karagar. That small spark triggered conversations that perhaps Kishor might pull off a surprise.
The leads did not last. As counting progressed, the party fell behind everywhere. In Bagaha, it finished behind the BJP and the Congress. In Narkatiaganj, it gathered only a few thousand votes. The overall vote share hovered between 5 and 7 percent. It was enough to spoil the Mahagathbandhan’s chances in a few pockets. It was not enough to change the balance of power.
Exit polls that predicted 0 to 2 seats were proven right. Kishor had once said that his political venture would either rise to the skies or fall to the ground. The verdict came quickly. It fell to the ground.
Where the Jan Suraaj Experiment Broke Down
Jan Suraaj’s failure was not a failure of message. It was a failure of machinery. The party functioned more like a movement than an organisation. Bihar, however, rewards networks, alliances and caste linkages that have been built patiently over decades.
The women’s vote became decisive. In the second phase, women’s turnout touched nearly 69 percent. Many women voters have benefited from the NDA’s welfare schemes, especially cash transfers. Jan Suraaj could not present a competing offer that was immediate, tangible and trustworthy.
As one party spokesperson admitted, cash benefits shaped the outcome more forcefully than expected.
The truth runs deeper. Bihar responds to issues, but issues must be supported by caste negotiation, welfare delivery and a trustworthy organisational network. Kishor built an impressive narrative. He did not build an equally impressive structure.
The Strategist Outplayed by His Own Playbook
There is a certain strategic irony in this defeat. Kishor built his career by advising leaders to strengthen their caste coalitions, welfare outreach and ground machinery. In Bihar, those same principles defeated him.
His social media wave looked impressive. His youth support in towns and migrant clusters appeared genuine. But political battles in Bihar are not won by digital enthusiasm or urban chatter. They are won by booth agents, panchayat leaders, caste validators and welfare beneficiaries.
In short, Kishor tried to leap over Bihar’s political formula. Bihar reminded him that no one leaps without building a ladder first.
What Comes Next for Prashant Kishor
Kishor has maintained silence since the election, but his team has made one thing clear. He is not quitting. Jan Suraaj’s national president Uday Singh said that the project is long term and that Kishor is committed to reviewing the defeat seriously. The comparison now emerging is with Kanshi Ram’s early years. The Bahujan Samaj Party did not win immediately. It spent years creating awareness before it achieved influence. By the third election cycle, it had changed the landscape.
Something similar remains possible for Jan Suraaj. The padyatra gave the party recognition across Bihar. If it converts that recognition into real organisation, it may reappear in 2029 or 2034 in a different form. However, that requires Kishor to build something he has never built before. A party that can stand even when he is not physically present.
After the defeat, Kishor briefly returned to his familiar zone. He began advising actor Vijay’s political outfit, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, for the 2026 Assembly elections. He paused the project temporarily to fulfil his commitments in Bihar, but the move indicates that his strategic instincts remain sharp. He may run Jan Suraaj as a long term laboratory while assisting other parties when needed.
This dual role may appear contradictory, but it matches Kishor’s personality. He is a political engineer who needs more than one project at a time. Bihar remains his long game. Tamil Nadu is a reminder of his immediate value.
Kishor’s Second Beginning
Jan Suraaj’s debut was harsh, but not fatal. Bihar’s politics moves slowly, and new entrants rarely achieve instant success. Kishor’s padyatra gave him visibility. His campaign gave him credibility. His defeat gave him clarity. Bihar’s young voters may still be open to him. But they will not judge him by how far he walked or how loudly he promised change. They will judge him by what he builds now. The next battle will not be won on roads filled with padyatras. It will be won in party offices, in small cadres, in panchayat level networks and in the trust that only time can create. Prashant Kishor has completed his first chapter as a politician. What he writes next will determine whether Jan Suraaj becomes a historical footnote or Bihar’s next great experiment.
