In his first interview since the Bihar rout, Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor on Wednesday said that his party succeeded in shifting the state's political discourse from caste to employment.
Reflecting on the results, Kishor acknowledged the stark contrast between the expectations built during the election campaign and the party's performance during the polls. "There is a very big gap between the election and the results. The effort we have made has received absolutely no electoral success," he said in an interview to NDTV.
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However, he spoke about another achievement and said, "There is one success, the discourse of Bihar's politics has shifted from caste to employment. We brought focus on jobs and development. I dreamt of change in Bihar."
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The Bihar Assembly elections delivered a verdict reminiscent of the NDA's big victory in 2010, but with new political dynamics. The people of Bihar chose the NDA again, giving the ruling alliance 202 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) managed to win just 35. The outcome was unexpected for both blocs.
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This election was significant because the Jan Suraaj Party, founded by political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, contested for the first time. Despite not winning a single seat, the party secured 3.4% of the total vote share, emerging as a potential disruptor in Bihar politics. While Jan Suraaj failed to open its account, it ended up being a 'vote-cutter' for both alliances.
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Of the 238 seats the Jan Suraaj Party contested, it finished second in one, third in 129, fourth in 73, fifth in 24, and between the sixth and ninth position in 12 seats.
The party dented both the NDA and the MGB. In 33 constituencies, Jan Suraaj's vote share was higher than the margin of victory. Of these 33, the NDA won 18 and the MGB 13.
During the campaign, Kishor said his party would take votes from both blocs, and this is clearly reflected in the results.
