The political temperature in Bihar is steadily rising ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections — and for the first time in decades, the state’s bipolar contest between the NDA and the Mahagathbandhan faces a third, credible challenger. The entry of Prashant Kishor, the strategist-turned-politician, through his Jan Suraaj Party, has injected uncertainty and curiosity into a battle that had long seemed predictable. Whether he wins seats or not, Kishor’s campaign is already reshaping the grammar of Bihar politics.

The Relevance of Prashant Kishor

Prashant Kishor’s presence in the 2025 Bihar polls is significant for two reasons. First, he represents an attempt to move beyond the entrenched caste arithmetic that has defined Bihar’s politics for three decades. Second, he embodies a new form of political entrepreneurship — one that seeks to blend governance, integrity, and performance into an electoral narrative traditionally dominated by identity and patronage.

Having crafted winning campaigns for Narendra Modi in 2014, Nitish Kumar in 2015, and several regional leaders thereafter, Kishor now wants to test his formula on himself. His 2,600-km padyatra across 235 blocks and nearly 2,700 villages over 665 days has given him unmatched visibility and ground access. Yet, Bihar’s social fabric — thick with caste networks and local patronage — is not easily swayed by technocratic appeal alone.

Positives: The Promise of a New Political Language

Kishor’s biggest strength is his outsider image. He has distanced himself from Bihar’s entrenched political families, pitching himself as a self-made reformer untainted by dynasty or corruption. His slogan — “Vote for your children’s future” — resonates with young, aspirational voters who have grown up amid unemployment, migration, and frustration with both Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad’s legacies.

His campaign is distinct in method and message. Instead of relying on mass rallies or celebrity endorsements, Jan Suraaj focuses on micro-engagement — youth clubs, scholarships for girls, training centres, and digital outreach. This approach blends grassroots mobilisation with data-driven targeting, much like his professional campaigns of the past, but with a moral........

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