The disappointing electoral performance of Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party in the Bihar assembly elections serves as a stark reminder of a fundamental political truth. It underscores that sophisticated campaign strategies and data analytics cannot substitute for the hard, ground-level organisational work, or 'sangathan', that builds lasting political power.
The Consultant's Conundrum: Margins vs. Centre
For years, Prashant Kishor himself has stated that political consultants operate on the margins, optimising campaigns rather than remaking the political landscape. His own venture, Jan Suraaj, was an ambitious attempt to invert this model, trying to build a political centre from the marginal tools of consultancy. The December 2025 verdict confirmed that this is a formidable, if not impossible, shortcut.
Kishor's legendary successes, such as the 2014 general election campaign, worked because he applied his toolkit to parties with established leaders, a solid social base, and a recognisable narrative. Consultants amplify strength; they cannot create it from scratch. Jan Suraaj lacked this foundational centre, attempting to win with strategy alone.
Bihar's Political Ethos: More Than Just Caste Arithmetic
The failure also highlights a misunderstanding of Bihar's dense political culture. The state's political icons—Karpoori Thakur, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, and Ram Vilas Paswan—were not created overnight. They emerged from decades of social agitation, compromise, and relentless organisational grind.
In Bihar, politics is deeply entangled with social and cultural life. Caste is a lived language of dignity and aspiration. Humour, local idioms, and personal rapport, often built in the ubiquitous tea-stall conversations, shape political loyalties. Kishor's offer of clean governance and development, while sidelining this existing 'repertoire', failed to connect. He sought to replace an ethos without building a sustained movement to carry that change.
The Jan Suraaj Campaign: Visibility Without Roots
Jan Suraaj's campaign mirrored Kishor's professional strengths. The long padyatra generated significant visibility. A sleek digital operation, youth clubs, and a focus on education and migration resonated with many, especially younger voters who saw their own aspirations in Kishor's personal story of success.
However, admiration did not translate into a robust organisation. The party had no natural socio-economic base. Its candidates were largely novices. While the padyatra created recognition, it did not build the essential booth-level committees needed to convert sympathy into votes. In 35 constituencies, Jan Suraaj's votes exceeded the winner's margin, proving it was merely a spoiler, not a contender. Ironically, its presence ultimately strengthened Nitish Kumar's position.
The Path Forward: From Project to Political Labour
This outcome does not necessarily spell the end for Jan Suraaj. Analysts suggest that if Kishor demonstrates long-term commitment by staying in Bihar, avoids the typical post-election lull, focuses on cultivating local leadership, and crucially, contests an election himself, the party could become relevant by the end of this decade.
Bihar's political landscape remains fluid, and voters are cautiously open to alternatives. The key lesson for Kishor is that a political world built through decades of labour cannot be redesigned on a laptop. For Jan Suraaj to rise, it must stop viewing Bihar as a puzzle to be solved with data and start engaging with it as a complex history to be worked with, from the ground up.
