Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 | Prashant Kishor not to contest poll; predicts defeat for Nitish

'There is an intense infighting within NDA, although the scenario is no different in Mahagathbandhan. One thing is for sure: the NDA is on its way out'

Patna: Putting all speculations and media hype to rest, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Wednesday clarified that he would not contest the Bihar Assembly elections as he wants to focus on his organisation which is making its election debut this time. He also predicted a defeat for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on its way out.

Deccan Herald had reported last week hinting that Kishor may not throw his hat in the poll ring. A section of the media had portrayed him as one of the challengers who could upstage Tejashwi Yadav from the latter’s bastion Raghopur.

PK, as Kishor is popularly known, had said that if he contests from Raghopur, then Tejashwi will have to flee to some other safe seat as the RJD scion would meet the same fate as that of Rahul Gandhi when he lost the Amethi Lok Sabha seat in 2019.

“The bridegroom (PK) has fled from the wedding venue even before the marriage could start,” Congress leader B Srinivas had made a snide remark, dwelling at length on how the media hype had created a larger-than-life image of the poll strategist-cum-politician.

“I have decided not to contest the poll as it was the decision taken by the party’s working committee so that I can use my time and energy in campaigning for my nominees and help them romp home,” said Kishor.

“We have set a target of winning 150 seats. Any victory on less than 150 seats will be treated as a defeat for our party,” said Kishor, who released the names of 51 candidates in the first list and 66 others in the second list.

Kishor did not figure even in the second list which had the name of Chanchal Singh, who has been fielded against Tejashwi from Raghopur.

Tejashwi, who has won from Raghopur in 2015 and 2020, is looking for a hat-trick this time after filing his nomination papers on Wednesday from a constituency from where his father, Lalu Prasad, and mother, Rabri Devi, (both former Chief Ministers) earlier won twice.

On Wednesday, Kishor was more aggressive against Nitish and the NDA. “There is an intense infighting within the NDA, although the scenario is no different in Mahagathbandhan. One thing is for sure: the NDA is on its way out and Nitish will not return as the Chief Minister,” reiterated Kishor, who vowed to book 100 top corrupt leaders and bureaucrats in Bihar if his party was voted to power.