Bihar Elections: 'No Alliance With Anyone Before Or After Polls', Says Prashant Kishor
At the Bihar Power Play Conclave in Patna, Jan Suraaj Party leader Prashant Kishor firmly stated that the party did not form any alliances before the Bihar election and will not do so after the polls
Jan Suraaj Party did not ally with any other party before the Bihar election and won't do so after the polls either, party leader Prashant Kishor firmly stated this at the NDTV Bihar Power Play Conclave in Patna on Friday.
Kishor made these remarks during a conversation with NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal, Managing Editor Padmaja Joshi, and Bihar Bureau Chief Prabhakar Kumar.
When asked to estimate how many seats Jan Suraaj might win in its debut election, Kishor said, "I can see two probabilities. People have seen Jan Suraaj as an alternative, but voting requires a leap of faith. People need a leap of faith because of the prolonged phase of hopelessness."
He predicted the party would win either fewer than 10 or more than 150 seats.
Addressing the possibility of post-poll alliances if Jan Suraaj becomes a kingmaker, Kishor responded, "We don't do the politics of this side and that side. If the people don't give us a mandate, we will continue our work. I can give it to you in writing: neither an alliance before the polls nor after the polls."
On hearing this, NDTV's Rahul Kanwal asked him if he would indeed "give it in writing", a phrase Kishor often uses when making predictions.
When pressed about considering alliances in case of a fractured mandate or hung assembly, Kishor said, "If a situation comes where the government cannot be formed without us, I know people will switch. I won't be able to stop them," citing the "lure of Lakshmi (money) and fear of (central agency) CBI."
He added, "Hypothetically, if there are 30 MLAs of Jan Suraaj and these 30 are the key to government formation, will the MLAs listen to me? But I can say I will still be honest," indirectly accusing the BJP of horse-trading. He challenged, "Get it written by Amit Shah too that if the NDA falls short of a majority, no MLAs will be bought or pressured. You are asking if we won't sell; ask those who will buy."
Earlier, Kishor reflected on his experience as a poll strategist and the difference in contesting elections himself. "Here too I am making others contest. The only difference is that I have created a new formation to execute this. Earlier, I worked with ready formations," he said.
Responding to NDTV’s mention of Arvind Kejriwal's 2013 Delhi victory over Sheila Dikshit, Kishor remarked, "It's nice that you say Arvind Kejriwal and I are different; our politics are different. Also, the Bihar Chief Minister is not contesting the polls; Sheila Dikshit was. If I contested against Tejashwi (in Raghopur), someone would say I am contesting against a backward leader."
