Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, has announced that he will not contest the upcoming elections from the Raghopur seat, where former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav is expected to run. Kishor emphasized that this decision was made collectively by the party to focus on strengthening its foundation rather than diverting efforts towards his candidacy. He stated, “It was a choice taken to serve the greater interests of the group. If I had been a candidate in the election, it would have diverted me from my essential job of organizing.” Instead of Kishor, the party will field local businessman Chanchal Singh from the Raghopur constituency, historically associated with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
This decision comes amid speculation regarding Kishor’s potential candidacy for Tejashwi’s seat. Kishor expressed confidence in his party’s performance, suggesting that the outcome of the Bihar elections will result in either a significant victory or a complete loss. “I’ve previously stated that we will either secure just 15 seats or 150. There’s no middle way,” he reiterated. When questioned about his future role in Bihar politics amid potential deadlocks, Kishor dismissed the idea of a fractured mandate, asserting that any tally below 150 seats would be seen as a failure.
He emphasized the need to transform Bihar into one of India’s ten most developed states, stating that the Jan Suraaj Party has already announced three lists of potential candidates this year. Voting for the 243-member Bihar Assembly is scheduled for November 6-11, with results expected to be declared on November 14.