Former poll strategist Prashant Kishor has emerged as a fresh political force in Bihar, launching his party Jan Suraaj about a year ago after three years of grassroots mobilization. With the first phase of voting held on Thursday, questions swirl about whether he can transform the two-way contest into a triangular battle and whose votes he might capture—the NDA alliance led by Nitish Kumar and Narendra Modi, or the opposition Mahagathbandhan steered by Tejashwi Yadav and Rahul Gandhi. Kishor has successfully placed the issue of migration at the center of election discourse, with voters across classes and castes discussing how young Biharis leave the state for work due to lack of factories and jobs. His speeches circulate widely on YouTube, giving people talking points and shaping conversations. However, many voters remain hesitant to actually vote for him, citing his newness, lack of vote base, and candidate changes. While there is anti-incumbency sentiment around unemployment, price rise, and corruption, there is no widespread anger against the incumbent Nitish Kumar, who is still viewed as a development leader. The absence of a political vacuum and visible anger—conditions that helped AAP in Delhi—poses a challenge for Kishor. Despite his visibility and influence on the election narrative, converting awareness into votes remains his biggest test.
Migration Issue Takes Center Stage
The theme of migration has resonated strongly in this election, with voters speaking more insistently than before about the distress of leaving home to find work. People describe traveling long distances, many crammed in train toilets, searching for jobs in other states because Bihar lacks factories and industrial investment. Across classes and castes, there is concern that the state is losing its young population and its identity. Even senior officials in the Nitish Kumar government acknowledge that after 20 years, insufficient progress on industrial investment, job creation, urbanization, and tourism stems from the chief minister's ideological roots in the socialist-Lohiaite tradition. This worldview, while defining his political horizon, also sets limits on development strategy. Kishor has amplified this issue, making it a central talking point and forcing other parties to address the question of why Bihar's youth must leave to survive.
Voter Awareness Without Voter Commitment
Voters in towns and villages widely recognize Kishor's name and have heard his speeches on YouTube. A blogger and farmer in Purnea notes that Kishor has given people talking points and they are looking at their mobile phones. However, this awareness has not translated into voting commitment. Many express wariness about supporting him because he is too new, lacks a vote base, and has only started working. Several cite last-minute candidate changes in multiple constituencies, cases of missing or withdrawn candidates, and Kishor's decision not to contest personally as reasons for hesitation. A nursing student in Patna says it will take time to build trust. In a Dalit village near Nitish Kumar's native place, a resident suggests Kishor will get a hearing in the next election, asking if he is Bajrangbali to fly immediately. The culture of social media, with its half-truths and lack of credibility, also breeds skepticism about a politics not deeply rooted in Bihar's soil.
Nitish Kumar's Resilience Despite Anti-Incumbency
Despite anti-incumbency on issues like unemployment, price rise, corruption, and a failed prohibition policy, there is little visible anger against Nitish Kumar. Even critics acknowledge his work, starting with the admission that he has delivered development. A first-time voter in Patna mentions Nitish's political switches but credits him with substantial development. An autorickshaw driver in Sitamarhi praises the roads and drains built under Nitish while opposing him on the Waqf law. People refer to Nitish as the development man his opposition struggles to defeat, and much of the change vote is expressed as a polite request for him to now bring industry. The lack of anger may also stem from low expectations in a state long at the bottom. A daily wage laborer in Sitamarhi reflects this acceptance of the status quo. Additionally, some voters still keep one eye on the past, remembering the 15 years before Nitish's rule, which complicates the new player's claim to the future.
Source: Link