Patna: In a major political development, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Wednesday announced that he will not contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled for November 6 and 11, 2025.
Ending weeks of speculation, Kishor said the decision was made by his party “in the larger interest of the organisation.”
“It was a decision we took in the larger interest of the party. If I were to contest, it would have distracted me from the necessary organisational work,” Kishor told PTI.
The announcement comes after widespread speculation that Kishor would take on RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in Raghopur, the same constituency from which Tejashwi is contesting.
Jan Suraaj Party Fields Chanchal Singh from Raghopur
Refuting earlier assumptions of a Prashant Kishor vs Tejashwi Yadav battle, the Jan Suraaj Party has fielded Chanchal Singh, a local businessman, from the Raghopur seat instead.
Kishor emphasized that the decision reflects the collective wisdom of his party’s leadership.
“If Jan Suraaj Party wins the Bihar polls, it will have a nationwide impact. The compass of national politics will point in a different direction,” he said.
Prashant Kishor on Bihar Election Prospects
Confident about his party’s performance, Prashant Kishor said the Bihar elections would either be a massive victory or a total setback for Jan Suraaj.
“I expect a tally of either fewer than 10 seats or more than 150 seats. There is no possibility of anything in between,” Kishor stated.
He added that the election results would define the future direction of Bihar politics and potentially reshape the national political landscape.
On Possibility of a Hung Assembly
When asked whether he would support the NDA or the INDIA bloc in case of a hung assembly, Kishor dismissed the scenario as unlikely.
“A tally less than 150, even if it is 120 or 130, shall be a defeat for me,” he said.
“If we do well, we will have the mandate to transform Bihar and make it one of the top 10 most advanced states. If not, we will continue our politics of the street and society — samaj aur sadak ki rajneeti.”
Bihar Election 2025 Schedule
- Polling Dates: November 6 and 11, 2025
- Counting of Votes: November 14, 2025
- Total Seats: 243
The Jan Suraaj Party has released three candidate lists so far and is gearing up for what many analysts call a “make-or-break” election for Prashant Kishor’s political career.
