Bihar Has Maximum Anti-Incumbency, Lot Of Space For A New Party: Prashant Kishor

Political strategist Prashant Kishor has said that Bihar has a lot of space for a new party as it has "maximum anti-incumbency" following the nearly 35-year rule of ideologically similar formations headed by either Lalu Prasad Yadav or Nitish Kumar.

His comments came as his ongoing 'Jan Suraaj' yatra through his home state is expected to end with the formation of a political party before the assembly polls in the latter half of the next year.

Once the party takes shape, it will contest every election, Mr Kishor said.

Asked if Bihar, with two strong regional parties in Yadav-led RJD and Kumar-led Janata Dal (U) besides the formidable BJP, the Left and the Congress, has space for one more political party, he told PTI that the state has more space than other states.

"Almost similar formations built around Lalu and Nitish have been there for 35 years. They have similar ideologies more or less," he said, noting that issues like social justice, socialism and 'jungle raj' have been there all these years.

"Anti-incumbency is maximum there. There has been no fundamental change in these 35 years. According to me, there is space," he said.

Noting that it is one of the stated goals of his 'yatra' that people associated with it will form a political party, he said once such a party takes shape, it will contest every election.

Having worked with many political parties in shaping their election campaigns, often successfully, before launching his 'padyatra' in Bihar with a stated goal to usher in transformative changes to boost the backward state's development, Mr Kishor said he does not think he is doing anything drastically different.

What he was advising political parties and their leaders earlier, he is now directly communicating to people, be the issues they should raise or building grassroots organisation, he said.

He said when he started the 'Jan Suraaj' yatra on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2, 2022, he planned to identify 20 "right" people in every block but has received a massive response, with anywhere between 2,500 and 3,000 people willing to become its founder members.

Mr Kishor said he has so far travelled through 60 per cent of the state.

Asked what role he sees for himself in the likely political party, he likened himself to a potter collecting raw materials to build a good earthen pot.