Bihar Exit Polls 2025: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj fails to take off

Patna: The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is poised for a sweeping victory in Bihar, according to multiple exit polls, while Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) appears to have failed to make an impact in its electoral debut.

The Bihar assembly elections were conducted in two phases on November 6 and 11, and the results will be announced on November 14.

Eight major exit polls, including those by Dainik Bhaskar, Matrize, JVC, P-Marq, People’s Insight, and People’s Pulse, predict a decisive mandate for the NDA, projecting it to comfortably cross the halfway mark in the 243-seat Assembly.

The Dainik Bhaskar exit poll gives the NDA between 145 and 160 seats, while Matrize forecasts 147 to 167 seats. The JVC poll places the alliance between 135 and 150 seats, and People’s Pulse expects at least 133 seats for the ruling coalition led by Nitish Kumar and the BJP.

In sharp contrast, the Opposition Mahagathbandhan — led by Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD and the Congress — trails significantly. Dainik Bhaskar projects the bloc at 73 to 91 seats, while JVC gives it 88 to 103.

But the biggest disappointment, exit polls suggest, is for political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor. His Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), contesting its first-ever Assembly election, has failed to register any significant presence. Matrize predicts 0 to 2 seats, while Dainik Bhaskar puts it at 0 to 3. None of the major pollsters — including Chanakya Strategies, JVC, or People’s Insight — see the JSP crossing even the double-digit mark.

Despite a high-voltage campaign and promises of political transformation, Kishor’s debut appears to have fallen flat, indicating that voters have not yet rallied behind his “Jan Suraaj” vision.

While the exit polls overwhelmingly favour the NDA, observers caution that such projections have been wrong in the past. Still, if these numbers hold true, Bihar may be witnessing the twilight of an era — with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expected to lead the state for one final term, as Lalu Prasad Yadav’s son, Tejashwi Yadav, readies himself as the Opposition’s face for the future.