‘Will quit if…’: Prashant Kishor’s sharp new challenge to Nitish Kumar after Bihar poll wipeout
Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has thrown a fresh challenge at the Nitish Kumar–led Bihar government, declaring he will quit politics if the state fulfils its promise of giving ₹2 lakh each to 1.5 crore women.
The remarks come days after a crushing defeat for his Jan Suraaj Party, which failed to win any of the 243 seats it contested in its maiden electoral battle.
Speaking for the first time since the setback, Kishor accepted responsibility for the poor performance but insisted that his fight for change in Bihar would continue.
He also reiterated an earlier claim that the JD(U) would not have crossed 25 seats without alleged cash transfers to voters.
VIDEO | Patna: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, in his first post-election press conference, says, "For the first time in independent India - especially in Bihar - a government promised to spend Rs 40,000 crore for people, and that is why the NDA secured such a big… pic.twitter.com/GHT7AiybVf
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 18, 2025
“People are talking a lot about my remark on JD(U) winning 25 seats — I still stand by it. If Nitish Kumar transfers the ₹2 lakh he promised to 1.5 crore women and proves he didn’t win by buying votes, I will definitely quit politics without any ifs and buts,” Kishor said.
He alleged that the ruling party distributed ₹10,000 each to over 60,000 beneficiaries in every constituency, questioning whether it was a welfare initiative or an attempt to buy votes.
Contrary to his prediction, the JD(U) won 85 of the 101 seats it contested, while its ally BJP, secured 89.
Despite the setback, Kishor said his party would introspect and “come back stronger”.
The NDA is set to form the next Bihar government on November 20, following its sweeping victory in the two-phase Assembly elections, whose results were declared on November 14.