Not contesting, yet commanding the spotlight, PK rewrites the script in Bihar. (Photo: ANI, Canva)
Bihar is all set for elections. The Bihar Assembly polls will be held on November 6 and 11. On this occasion it is crucial to look at the role of Prashant Kishor, popularly referred to by political insiders as PK, who has risen from being India’s most influential election strategist to starting his own political party in Bihar.
Born 20 March 1977 in the village of Konar in Rohtas district, he moved later to nearby Buxar with his family. Kishor studied in schools in Buxar, and after finishing secondary level education, he moved to Hyderabad in pursuit of an engineering degree. Kishor spent around eight years in the United Nations, working with health care system improvement in addition to public health training and global development programming.
PK became a nationally recognised name in political circles as a result of his work in 2012 designing and managing the campaign of the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi during the Assembly elections. The campaign was successful, and Kishor became able to market himself as the most sought-after political strategist in the country. Over the past decade, PK has played a defining role in multiple high-profile election victories across the country. He has worked with the BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, YSR Congress Party, DMK, Trinamool Congress and Janata Dal (United).
His work reshaped modern election campaigning. In Bihar’s 2015 Assembly elections, Kishor and his team at I-PAC crafted the campaign “Nitish ke Nishchay: Vikas ki guarantee,” contributing to Nitish Kumar’s return to power. In Punjab, he engineered the Congress comeback in 2017. However, the same year in Uttar Pradesh, his strategy for the Congress failed to deliver. Kishor bounced back with a sweeping victory for AAP in the 2020 Delhi elections and later worked with DMK chief M. K. Stalin in Tamil Nadu, where the party returned to power in 2021. In Andhra Pradesh, his strategy for Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections resulted in the YSRCP winning an overwhelming majority.
Despite working behind the scenes for years, Kishor finally took the political plunge. He converted his socio-political initiative, Jan Suraaj, into a political party on 2 October 2024, announcing that it would contest all 243 constituencies in the upcoming 2025 Bihar Assembly Election. He has time and again said that Bihar does not need “adjustments or alliances” but a new model of governance driven directly by the people.
Prashant Kishor’s world of politics faced a storm ahead of the 2025 elections when he was accused of possessing two voter ID cards, one registered in Bihar and another allegedly linked to an address in West Bengal. The Election Commission of India issued him a notice seeking an explanation within three days. This triggered a heated debate in political circles, with his rivals casting aspersions at his credibility and ethics, while Jan Suraaj Party termed this controversy an attempt at character assassination with political motives since he was gradually rising in Bihar politics.
Although there was strong speculation that Kishor would contest from Raghopur-the traditional stronghold of former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav-he publicly declared that he would not contest the 2025 Assembly polls. Kishor explained that entering the electoral battle as a candidate would hamper his leading and managing his party’s statewide campaign. He made it amply clear in an interview that the lure of attaining a political position does not drive him. “I am not the king. I am the kingmaker,” he said, adding: even if Jan Suraaj wins 140 seats, he would consider it a setback, for his mission goes beyond personal victory.
Kishor also said Jan Suraaj will not join any alliance ahead of the election nor support any coalition afterwards. He has repeatedly said that Bihar’s politics has stagnated and needs a fresh alternative. The people of Bihar need to take a leap of faith, he has said, and choose a new political force oriented towards long-term transformation, not short-term power arrangements.
Prashant Kishor is married to Dr. Jahnavi Das, and the couple has one son. His father is Shrikanth Pande, a retired government employee. Kishor defines himself as one who chose public life not for personal gain but to reform a political system that he believes has failed Bihar. With the Jan Suraaj Party entering its first electoral contest, Prashant Kishor stands at a critical crossroads-from crafting election victories for India’s most powerful leaders to building a political movement of his own, Kishor’s next chapter will determine whether his strategic genius could translate into mass political acceptance.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
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