Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor addresses a press conference, in Patna. File PTI photo
Prashant Kishor on Bihar defeat: 'Polls rigged, but no proof yet’
Kishor admitted to a crushing defeat but alleged 'invincible forces' were at play and accused NDA of distributing ₹10,000 cash incentives to women voters to win
After his fledgling party failed to win a single seat in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, Jan Suraaj founder and former poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Sunday (November 23), again attacked the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) alleging that the polls were “rigged”. However, he conceded that he had no evidence to substantiate the claim at this point.
Earlier too, Kishor's party leaders had dropped a major allegation accusing the Nitish Kumar-led government of using World Bank funds amounting to ₹14,000 crore, originally meant for development initiatives, to finance the ₹10,000 cash transfers to women, in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections.
In a TV interview to India Today, Kishor admitted the defeat was “crushing” . The poll strategist turned politician maintained that his campaign had gained traction on the ground. He argued that the voting patterns did not match the feedback they had collected during his Jan Suraaj yatra. He pointed out that “something went wrong” and many things did not add up.
Invincible forces
Kishor blamed some “invincible forces” at play in this election.
Also read: JD(U) would have been bundled up with 25 seats had it not given Rs 10,000 to women: Kishor
“Parties that were virtually unknown ended up with lakhs of votes. Some people want me to say the EVMs were tampered with. That’s a common allegation after losing. I have no proof, but many things don’t add up. Prima facie, it seems something went wrong, though we don’t know what,” Kishor told the TV channel.
Dangling cash incentives
He further accused the NDA of distributing money to thousands of women voters in Bihar to influence the outcome.
Women voters were offered cash incentives to back the NDA during the Bihar elections. From the day the polls were announced until voting, women were given ₹10,000 each, he claimed, adding that they were promised a total of ₹2 lakh, with this amount being only the first instalment. They were told that they would receive the rest if they voted for the NDA and Nitish Kumar.
“I don’t recall any government ever distributing money like this to 50,000 women,” he claimed.
Fear of 'Jungle Raj'
Kishor also pointed to another factor that hurt Jan Suraaj’s prospects, the fear of a return to Lalu Prasad’s ‘Jungle Raj.’ “By the final phase, many voters believed Jan Suraaj couldn’t win. Their concern was that supporting us might indirectly pave the way for Lalu’s rule to return. That fear certainly pushed some away,” he claimed.
Also read: Prashant Kishor takes blame for Bihar election debacle, refuses to quit politics
Rejecting speculation that his political career was finished, Kishor responded sharply to critics. “These are the same people who cheered when I was winning. If they write my obituary now, it’s not about them, it’s about what I do next. If I succeed, they will clap again. The ones criticising me are the most curious about me. That only shows I am not done yet. Abhi kahani baki hai [the story is far from over],” he remarked.
Despite contesting 238 of the 243 seats, the Jan Suraaj Party failed to secure a single constituency. By its own estimates, it managed only 2 to 3 percent of the vote, with most candidates losing their deposits.
'Corrupt' cabinet
Addressing the media on November 21, Kishor alleged that the new cabinet of the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar was full of corrupt and criminal leaders.
After observing a day-long silent fast at Gandhi Ashram in West Champaran, Kishor also said his party will launch the 'Bihar Navnirman Sankalp Yatra' on January 15, during which Jan Suraaj Party workers will visit all houses in the state.