NewKerala.com

Bihar Election Shock: Why Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Failed to Deliver

Prashant Kishor's much-anticipated political debut with Jan Suraaj turned out to be a disappointment in the Bihar elections. The party failed to secure leads in any constituency despite Kishor's impressive track record as a poll strategist. Similarly, Mukesh Sahani's VIP party, which had positioned him as deputy chief ministerial face, trailed in all 15 seats it contested. The NDA maintained a commanding lead with 209 seats while the Mahagathbandhan struggled with just 29 seats.

Key Points: Prashant Kishor Jan Suraaj Mukesh Sahani VIP Bihar Poll Results

  • Jan Suraaj fails to secure leads in any constituency despite Prashant Kishor's track record
  • Mukesh Sahani's VIP trails in all 15 contested seats including his brother's poor showing
  • Exit polls accurately predicted zero to two seats for Kishor's political debut
  • NDA leads with 209 seats while Mahagathbandhan trails with just 29
2 min read

Bihar poll results: PK's Jan Suraaj a damp squib, Mukesh Sahani's VIP also fails to take off

Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj and Mukesh Sahani's VIP party fail to secure leads in Bihar elections despite high expectations and strategic positioning.

"perform exceedingly well or crash - Prashant Kishor"

Patna, Nov 14

Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj and the Mahagathbandhan's Deputy Chief Ministerial face Mukesh Sahani's Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) were unable to secure leads in any constituency as of 3.50 p.m., according to Bihar election trends.

The exit polls had projected that Jan Suraaj would win between zero and two seats, and the trends at 3.50 p.m. reflected this forecast.

Jan Suraaj was considered the potential 'X factor' in this election, largely due to Prashant Kishor's formidable track record as a poll strategist.

Kishor has been credited with steering major electoral victories for Nitish Kumar in the 2015 Bihar polls, Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSR Congress Party in Andhra Pradesh in 2019, and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.

Despite this, several exit polls predicted zero seats for Jan Suraaj, a projection Kishor himself acknowledged, remarking before the counting began that his party would either "perform exceedingly well or crash".

On the other hand, Mukesh Sahani's VIP is trailing in all 15 seats it contested. Sahani, who chose not to contest personally, had been positioned as the Mahagathbandhan's Deputy Chief Ministerial face.

The Election Commission's website shows that Sahani's brother, Santosh Sahni, is in eighth position out of 12 candidates in Gaura Gram, where BJP's Sujit Kumar is leading by a margin of over 10,000 votes.

Sahani, a former Bollywood set designer who entered politics, was considered significant in consolidating Mallah, Sahani, and Nishad votes across the Mithilanchal and Seemanchal regions, making him an important figure in the Mahagathbandhan's strategy.

As per the latest 3.50 p.m. trends, the NDA is ahead in 209 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan trails with 29.

Bihar witnessed 66.91 per cent voter turnout overall in two-phase elections, the highest since the first elections in 1951.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The high voter turnout shows people wanted change, but they clearly preferred established parties. Both PK and Sahani underestimated the importance of organizational structure and grassroots workers.
P
Priya S
Mukesh Sahani's VIP failing is the bigger story here. Being made deputy CM face and still not winning any seat? This shows caste equations alone don't work anymore. Voters want development and governance. 👍
A
Arjun K
Respectfully, I think PK's approach was too theoretical. Bihar voters are practical people - they want to see what you've delivered, not just hear promises. Maybe he should have focused on one constituency and built from there.
M
Meera T
The writing was on the wall when exit polls predicted zero seats. But credit to PK for trying something new in Bihar politics. Hope he doesn't give up and continues working at grassroots level. 🙏
V
Vikram M
NDA leading in 209 seats! This is a massive mandate. People have rejected these small parties and newcomers. Bihar wants stability and development, not experiments. Jai Bihar! 🇮🇳

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50