Why Owaisi’s AIMIM and Maya’s BSP fare better than Prashant Kishor

The Nitish Kumar–Narendra Modi alliance seems to have clicked once more in Bihar. As the counting moved past 11:30 am, a clear picture has emerged. NDA is racing far ahead. The alliance was leading in over 190 seats, while the Grand Alliance was struggling to even touch 50 seats.

But the biggest blow was delivered to Jan Suraaj’s Prashant Kishor, who campaigned aggressively to present himself as a strong third alternative.  His candidates are nowhere close to opening an account. What’s interesting, though, is that Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, a party less talked about than Kishor’s camp, is actually performing better.

Owaisi’s party (at the time of writing) is leading in three seats, while Mayawati’s BSP has taken the lead in one seat.

AIMIM shines again in Seemanchal

Seemanchal didn’t disappoint Owaisi’s party this time as well. By 12 noon, AIMIM was leading in three important seats. In Kishanganj’s Kochadhaman, AIMIM’s Mohammad Sarwar Alam was ahead by 7,943 votes. In Purnia’s Amour seat, AIMIM state president Akhtarul Iman had built a lead of nearly 12,000 votes. In the Baisi seat, Ghulam Sarwar was leading by 5,756 votes, according to the record updated by the Election Commission of India. 

Meanwhile, the BSP, which doesn’t usually make major headlines in Bihar, also received some good news. In Ramgarh, BSP has marched ahead of both the BJP and RJD. BSP candidate Satish Kumar Singh Yadav was leading by around 4,000 votes after six rounds of counting.

For Prashant Kishor, the Bihar results are proving to be a huge disappointment. Early in the morning, his party seemed to show a spark in a few seats. But that hope faded quickly. As counting progressed, every one of his candidates faced the biggest dips. 

Despite months of extensive groundwork, road shows, padyatras and public meetings, PK’s party appears unable to open its account in any seat so far.

Counting for all 243 Assembly seats began at 8 am. Every seat has its own Returning Officer (RO) and a Counting Observer. Candidates and their authorised agents are also present at the tables.

Where Kishor lost ground — And where AIMIM & BSP gained

Kishor wanted Jan Suraaj to be a clean, people-driven alternative to Bihar’s caste-heavy politics. But these ideas did connect with some young and urban voters. Instead, his long padyatra across districts helped him become a leader who rose above political fights.

The energy did not translate into votes. Once again, caste equations decided most outcomes, and Kishor’s idea could not compete on that ground. While Jan Suraaj struggled to find a loyal voter base, parties like AIMIM and BSP managed to perform better, there are clear reasons why.

AIMIM has a strong Muslim support base, especially in Seemanchal, where its work and local outreach are well-known among voters. BSP, too, has a good Dalit base across North India, which gives the party a starting advantage. Kishor, on the other hand, entered the race without any fixed voter group. He depended on ideas, not identity.

Another factor is that both Owaisi’s AIMIM and Mayawati’s BSP speak in a clear voice to groups that feel underrepresented. Kishor’s message probably didn’t resonate with communities that look for leaders who speak directly to their daily struggles and legacy concerns.

In Bihar, where over 90% of constituencies are influenced by caste identity and local power networks, a Kishore’s governance-only pitch simply fell short.

Unlike Arvind Kejriwal’s rise in Delhi, Kishor’s party had energy but no deep organisational roots. His campaign looked strong on digital platforms, but on the ground, there weren’t enough workers, booth committees, or alliances. However, even though Jan Suraaj failed to register seats, Kishor did push Bihar’s conversation beyond caste. 

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