Patna: After three years of extensive groundwork across Bihar, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor confronts what may be his first significant electoral disappointment. As exit polls for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections emerged on Tuesday, most agencies indicated that Jan Suraaj would find it challenging to secure any seats, while the NDA seems poised for a substantial victory. The Matrize survey suggests the NDA is set to win 147–167 seats, with the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) likely to capture 70–90 seats. Kishor’s party, established three years ago, is anticipated to win no more than five seats.
Other exit polls present a similarly grim outlook: P-Mark forecasts 1–4 seats, People’s Pulse projects 0–5, and a poll from Dainik Bhaskar indicates none at all. People’s Insight offers a minimal chance of one or two seats for Kishor’s party. Should these predictions hold true, it would represent a significant setback for the former poll strategist-turned-politician. Kishor, who initiated Jan Suraaj on October 2, 2022, has traversed thousands of kilometres through villages and towns, vowing to transform Bihar’s political landscape from the grassroots. However, despite his emphasis on employment, education, and governance, exit polls imply that his message has not resonated enough to convert into votes. Political analysts ascribe the party’s lackluster performance to Bihar’s entrenched bipolar political environment.
“In a polarized contest, voters generally align with the major contenders — BJP, RJD, or JD (U),” remarked one analyst. “There’s limited space for a new player unless the political dynamics in the state shift.” While Prashant Kishor has often described this election as a test of faith — asserting that Jan Suraaj would either achieve remarkable success or face failure — the exit poll trends seem to suggest the latter. His ambitious padyatra, which commenced in West Champaran in 2022 and reached nearly every district of Bihar, appears to have raised awareness but not yet established a voting base.
The 2025 Bihar elections, conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11, saw a turnout exceeding 65 percent, indicating robust public engagement. The vote counting is scheduled for November 14, which will unveil whether Kishor’s political endeavor has succeeded — or if his transition from strategist to politician serves as a cautionary tale within Bihar’s intricate political framework.