Exclusive - RJD Comeback Not Possible Until 'Jungle Raj' Issue Is There: Prashant Kishor

Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor spoke to NDTV, days after his party's dismal performance in the Bihar Assembly elections. In an exclusive interview with NDTV Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal on "Walk the Talk," Kishor said he couldn't sleep well after the results were announced. He said that he would continue his efforts in Bihar's political arena.

Kishor also said that as long as the issue of "jungle raj" is there, a comeback for the RJD is impossible.

"I had already said that the RJD could only win 25-35 seats. The reason is that RJD's core strength is M-Y (Muslim-Yadav). They can't get more than that. Last time, they won 75 seats, but that was due to Chirag Paswan. You can look at several previous elections. In 2015, they were fighting in a different alliance, and in 2020, Chirag Paswan was a factor. Leaving both aside, the RJD has been limited to a range of 25 to 35 seats since 2010. Whether you consider the Lok Sabha or the Assembly elections."

When he asked if the RJD could make a comeback in the future, "As long as the fear of the 'jungle raj' persists, as far as the tag remains Raj attached to its political character, a comeback will be difficult for them. As elections approach in Bihar, people say that no matter how bad the government is, jungle raj should not prevail."

Read | "Won't Give Up, Haven't Slept Since Bihar Results": Prashant Kishor To NDTV

In the Bihar assembly elections, the opposition led by the RJD suffered a massive defeat, while the NDA returned to power by winning 202 seats in the 243-member assembly. The RJD contested 143 seats in the assembly elections but managed to win only 25, and its ally Congress won six.

In a significant announcement, Kishor said that he would no longer engage in consultancy work and focus solely on Bihar politics. 

"I believed that if I achieved something in Bihar, I would move elsewhere. But since I haven't been able to win the battle in Bihar, my entire focus will remain on Bihar. I won't go anywhere outside Bihar. I won't consult anywhere. I will remain fully dedicated to Bihar. Just as I have been involved in Bihar politics for the last three and a half years, I will continue to do so in the future. I have made this decision, and I will not back down from it. There is no question of retreating without winning Bihar," he said.

He also said he would ask for donations from people to run the party if necessary, but he will remain in Bihar politics.

"If needed, we will ask the public for money. We will ask for donations. We will engage in crowdfunding. It has been working so far, and it will continue to do so in the future. If we don't have the money, we will contest the Bihar elections with less. But we won't abandon the people of Bihar," Kishor said.