"Will Quit If JDU Fulfills 2 Lakhs Promise": Prashant Kishor After Bihar Loss

Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor, in his first reaction after the party's drubbing in the recently-concluded Bihar Assembly polls, took a 'maun upvas' (vow of silence) for "failing to change the government". Kishor, while speaking to the media, took full responsibility for the party's poor performance.

"We tried very positively from our end. We failed to change this government. We tried a lot from our end, but it seems we failed somewhere. I take all the blame on myself as I failed to let people understand. We will do our introspection. I am sorry I failed in our efforts. I will be on a 'maun upvas' (vow of silence) for a day," the poll strategist-turned politician said.

Kishor's party, which contested 238 of Bihar's 243 Assembly seats, flopped terribly as it failed to win any of them. The ruling NDA alliance - led by the BJP and Nitish Kumar's JDU won with 202 seats (BJP 89 and JDU 85), with Chirag Paswan's LJP (Ram Vilas) emerging as the other key contributor with 19 seats.

"We made an honest effort, but it was completely unsuccessful. There's no harm in admitting this. Forget about systemic change; we couldn't even bring about a change in power. But we certainly played some role in changing Bihar's politics. There must have been some mistake in our efforts, in our thinking, in the way we explained that the public had not elected us. If the public did not show faith in us, then the responsibility for that is completely mine," he said.

Kishor, however, clarified that he would not be quitting yet - contradicting his pre-poll remark where he said he would quit politics if JDU won more than 25 seats. Although this time, he made another similar vow: to retire from politics if the ruling government gives Rs two lakh each to 1.5 crore people as "promised before polls".

"We will stand again with the same power. For those who think I will leave Bihar, it is absolutely wrong. You are not defeated till you quit. People are talking a lot about my remark on JDU winning 25 seats - I still stand by it. If Nitish Kumar transfers the Rs 2 lakh he promised to 1.5 crore women and proves he didn't win by buying votes, I will retire from politics without any ifs and buts," he said.

Denying the Opposition's accusations of voters selling votes, Kishor said, "That is not true. For the first time in independent India - especially in Bihar - a government promised to spend Rs 40,000 crore for people, and that is why the NDA secured such a big majority. People here will not sell their future or their children's future. There is no end to this debate. Some are alleging wrongdoing by the Election Commission - that is their matter. But in every Assembly seat, at least 60,000 to 62,000 people were given Rs 10,000 and promised a Rs two lakh loan. Government officials were on duty telling people they would get the loan if the NDA returned to power, and Jeevika didis were put on duty for this."