Bihar Elections 2025: Prashant Kishor, the political strategist who now leads the Jan Suraaj Party, has become one of the most talked-about names in Bihar’s politics, weeks before the Election Commission is set to announce the poll dates. It is safe to assume that Kishor’s party, which appears to focus on everyday issues that affect people’s lives, is slowly gaining support in Bihar where voting usually depends on caste.
Kishor has been quite vocal about his opinions, especially when it comes to NDA leaders, one of them being Nitish Kumar.
Prashant Kishor claims Nitish Kumar is honest but…
While speaking to The Indian Express in an interview, Prashant Kishor said he does not support politics based on accusations, but during his tour of Bihar, he received many complaints about widespread corruption. He described the current NDA government in the state as one of the most corrupt since Independence.
However, he clarified that Nitish Kumar himself is honest, and the problems stem from people around him, especially as Nitish’s health is not at its best. He further compared it to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was honest, while his government faced major corruption allegations.
“Let me make it clear, Nitish Kumar is honest. It’s some people around him who have created anarchy of sorts, with Nitish not in the best of health. It is similar to Dr Manmohan Singh being an honest PM but the Congress government facing allegations of huge corruption,” he said.
Adding to the conversation, Kishor also said, “Nitish Kumar as Chief Minister is as good as over.” He explained that one possibility for voters is the NDA forming a government without Nitish Kumar, but the BJP lacks a strong statewide leader since Sushil Kumar Modi passed away.
Another option, he said, is the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, but he questioned why people would support a party associated with past misrule. He pointed out that Tejashwi was Deputy CM for over three years and asked whether the party’s approach has really changed. While some argue that Tejashwi should not be blamed for his father’s mistakes, he said it is important to know if those responsible for misrule under Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi have been removed from the party.
Kishor’s fresh allegations against BJP, NDA leaders ahead of Bihar polls
Kishor said that since BJP and NDA keep talking about “chaal, charitra and chehra,” his team looked into the records of some NDA leaders. They found corruption under the current government to be far higher than during Lalu Prasad’s rule.
He gave the example of Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal, questioning how he gained control of a medical college in Kishanganj that, by rules, should be run by Sikhs. “I also asked BJP leader and Health Minister Mangal Pandey how Dilip Jaiswal managed deemed university status for the Kishanganj medical college,” Kishor said, adding that Jaiswal is yet to provide a satisfactory explanation.
Bihar Elections 2025: More lies, more accusations
Kishor pointed out that while there is often discussion about RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav having studied up to class 9th, Bihar’s Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary has given conflicting information in a court affidavit that he studied only up to class 7. But they also claimed a doctorate from the University of California in his affidavit to the Election Commission. Kishor said he only wants Choudhary to clarify when he passed class 10th and 12th.
He also raised questions for JD(U) leader and minister Ashok Kumar Choudhary regarding the purchase of land worth around Rs 200 crore. Kishor added that if these allegations are false, they are free to file defamation cases against him.
Kishor crushes ‘party funding’ claims of BJP
When asked what he had to say about BJP’s claims regarding providing funding to his party, Prashant Kishor made it clear that the sources of funding for his party are completely transparent.
He said the BJP does not need to make a big deal out of it, as they already have control over the governments in Bihar and Delhi. Kishor added that if there were any wrongdoing, agencies like the ED, CBI, or R&AW could investigate him, and he has nothing to hide.