Bihar election results: Prashant Kishor yet to come of age; poll debut proves to be a dud

This Kishor can’t sing: Bihar tunes out PKNEW DELHI: Prashant Kishor has often been credited for being the scriptwriter of the electoral successes of several political parties and satraps. His most anticipated script has, however, turned out to be a spectacular dud.When he started his public outreach in Bihar with a padyatra from Champaran three years ago, he dominated headlines because of his communication skills that mixed cocky predictions with unconventionally sharp attacks on regional satraps. He promised to deliver the state from the woes of unemployment and unceasing 'palayan' (migration).What added to his appeal was that he had worked with leading politicians, including PM Narendra Modi, and a host of regional heavyweights, such as CMs like Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee, during some of their successful electoral battles.

A trailblazer as poll strategist, his successes made waves while failures like the one in UP assembly polls in 2017 did not diminish his image.Unlike most election strategists who prefer the backroom and keep a low profile, he never shied away from offering punditry and denouncing politicians who he believed were not charitable to him, Rahul Gandhi being a famous example after talks of his joining Congress fell through.

Some of his predictions, like BJP failing to cross 100 seats in West Bengal in 2021, proved correct and some others missed the mark. But his profile grew, leading to a sense of anticipation before his Jan Suraaj Party's debut in Bihar. His meetings and roadshows drew crowds and his interviews were much sought after.As the dust kicked up by NDA's tsunami settles in Bihar, Kishor and his ambition lie buried. He had claimed that Nitish, whose party he had joined in 2018 with much fanfare before being expelled in 2020 for publicly scorning him for supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, will not be the next CM and his party, JDU, will not win more than 25 seats.

As of 10.30pm, JDU had won 85 seats and Nitish is expected to be sworn in again.Kishor's assertion that he will quit politics if this were to happen may come back to haunt him. As a political strategist, he has lost his sheen.However, the annihilation of RJD-led Mahagathbandhan has also opened a narrow path for his unconventional politics that has so far shunned caste calculations and prioritised issues of universal public good like education and employment.