Bihar election result: Prashant Kishor's party leading in 3 seats
What's the story
In a surprising twist, poll strategist Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj is leading in three seats as vote counting is underway in Bihar. Pollsters had predicted a grim picture for the new party, with a majority predicting it to win 0-2 seats. The Jan Suraaj fielded candidates in all 243 seats, out of which three withdrew their nominations later, and one was rejected.
Political debut
Kishor's party takes on NDA-Mahagathbandhan bipolar contest
Kishor, known for masterminding some of India's most successful election campaigns, launched his party Jan Suraaj on October 2, 2024. The party aims to bring governance-driven politics to Bihar, a state where caste still dominates electoral narratives. However, even before the polls ended, Jan Suraaj faced internal dissent with key candidates quitting mid-election. Senior members like Amit Kumar Paswan and Karmveer Paswan defected to the BJP, raising questions about discontent within the party.
Credibility issues
Accusations fly as Jan Suraaj battles polarizations
Jan Suraaj also struggled to establish itself as a credible third front amid established polarizations. While Mahagathbandhan accused Kishor of secretly aligning with JD(U), BJP called him a "vote cutter" helping the Opposition. Despite these challenges, Kishor maintained that his party stands for "clean politics, transparency, and performance over politics of caste and convenience."
Election dynamics
Record voter turnout
Counting of votes across 243 assembly constituencies in Bihar started at 8:00am on Friday. Security was tightened at various counting centers, including Patna and several other places. The elections had set records with the highest voter turnout in both phases. The second phase saw a record voter turnout of 69.20%, the highest ever recorded in Bihar's history, according to the Election Commission.