Prashant Kishor has announced that he will not contest in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The Jan Suraaj chief said he would focus entirely on ensuring the success of his party’s candidates instead of contesting himself.
He released the first list of 51 candidates on Thursday and confirmed that Jan Suraaj will contest all 243 assembly seats across Bihar. Kishor added that his priority was to build a strong political alternative, not to seek personal power.
A few days earlier, he had challenged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to contest the assembly elections, claiming he would stand against him. However, Nitish Kumar, who has been a member of the legislative council since 2006, has no reason to enter an assembly contest as his MLC term runs until 2030.
Political observers say Kishor’s decision not to contest raises questions about his confidence in translating strategy into real-time politics. They note that his track record as a political consultant has been mixed, with several of his past clients losing despite his strategic guidance.
The decision has sparked debate among Bihar’s political circles about whether Kishor’s move reflects tactical restraint or hesitation to face electoral ground realities. His campaign, however, continues to target Nitish Kumar’s governance and the ruling NDA alliance ahead of the polls.
