Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor claimed the record 65.08% voter turnout in Bihar’s assembly elections signals a definitive change. He said his party offers a new alternative and criticized the NDA for its campaign tactics.
Kishor Positions Jan Suraaj as ‘New Alternative’
Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party is making its first foray into Bihar politics, and he claimed the party offers a viable alternative to the existing political system. He criticised the NDA government, stating that voters are looking for change after three decades of the same politics. “PM is trying to get votes by instilling fear of the RJD because he has nothing else to say… But this time, the situation has changed… If you’re saying Jungle Raj shouldn’t return, but then why should you (NDA)? Jan Suraaj is the new alternative,” he added.
Meanwhile, on Friday, he hailed the high voting percentage and said, “This is the highest voting percentage in Bihar since Independence. This shows two things: that the thing I said last year, and that more than 60% of Bihar’s population wants change. The feeling of indifference that people were getting used to, in trying to find an alternative, people did not have an alternative. After Jan Suraaj came, people got an alternative. People have given their vote for change.”
Election Data and Political Landscape
The CEO of Bihar stated that the first phase of the assembly elections was successfully conducted on November 6, 2025, across 121 seats in 18 districts of the state.
According to the CEO, the average voter turnout in the 2020 Bihar Assembly General Elections was 57.29 per cent, while the turnout for the 2024 Lok Sabha General Elections stood at 56.28 per cent. This reflects an overall increase in voter participation in the state compared to the previous two elections.
The CEO of Bihar stated that this year’s election in the state saw a 7.79 per cent increase in voter turnout compared to the 2020 Bihar Assembly General Elections. Additionally, there was an 8.8 per cent increase in voter turnout compared to the 2024 Lok Sabha General Elections.
While the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the BJP, JD(U), HAMS, LJP (RV), and others, is looking to retain power for a second term, the Mahagathbandhan, comprising Congress, RJD, left parties, and VIP, is looking to get back to power. Jan Suraaj party has also made a debut in the electoral fray, contesting in more than 200 seats on its own.
The election was held after the recently concluded Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The opposition parties had expressed strong reservations about the exercise. The SIR is to be carried out in other states and union territories of the country. (ANI)
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