NDTV's Big Prashant Kishor Exclusive: "Never Said I'll Fight Bihar Polls"

Jan Suraaj Party did not ally with any other party before the Bihar election and won't do so after the polls either, its leader Prashant Kishor said at the Bihar Power Play Conclave in Patna today. What's more, he gave it in writing. Kishor was speaking to NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal, Managing Editor Padmaja Joshi, and senior Bihar bureau chief Prabhakar Kumar.

Asked to put a number to how many seats Jan Suraaj can win in its debut election, he said, "I can see two probabilities. People have seen Jan Suraaj as an alternative, but voting requires a leap of faith. People need a leap of faith because of the prolonged phase of hopelessness." He added that Jan Suraaj will win either fewer than 10 or more than 150 seats.

To a question on whether he may tie up with other parties if Jan Suraaj emerges as a kingmaker after the polls, he replied, "We don't do the politics of this side and that side. If the people don't give us a mandate, we will continue our work. I can give it to you in writing, neither an alliance before the polls, nor after the polls." At this point, NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal asked Kishor if he would indeed "give it in writing", a term the former poll strategist often uses while making predictions in interviews.