In 2014, Prashant Kishor was the classic backroom operator, a kingmaker in very real terms. However, in 2025, Kishor who has worked as an election strategist for many parties for over a decade, has formed Jan Suraaj Party. He is set to contest the two-phase Bihar assembly polls on November 6 and 11.
Kishor first hit the national headlines in 2014 with his election strategy for Narendra Modi who was then BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. In the subsequent year, Bihar went to polls in 2015. It was again Kishor's strategy that ensured that the BJP was defeated by Janata Dal (United)-Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress grand alliance. The Grand Alliance won 178 out of 243 seats in the state.
He was subsequently appointed vice-president of the JD(U) in 2018 only to be expelled months later.
His political consultancy firm, I-PAC or Indian Political Action Committee, which conceptualised PM Modi’s popular “chai pe charcha” initiative, substituted it with “parcha pe charcha” in the 2015 Bihar polls. Under this initiative, Nitish’s election managers sought feedback from people on the state government’s performance.
He was appointed vice-president of the Janata Dal (United) on October 16 by its chief Nitish Kumar.
Known as a mastermind reshaping political landscapes, Kishore is reportedly the brain behind ‘Brand Modi’ to ‘Beta Kejriwal’, ‘Didi ke Bolo’ for Mamata Banerjee to ‘Halqe vich Captain’ for Amarinder Singh, ‘Jaganna’s Navratnalu’ for Jagan Mohan Reddy to ‘Phir Se, Nitish’ for Nitish.
However, his first major campaign was in 2011 when he secured the victory of Modi in Gujarat for a third term as chief minister.
PM Modi’s win in 2014
Kishor is said to have been a key member in PM Modi’s team driving strategies for months in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP led by Modi won a landslide victory in 2014, ending a decade of UPA rule.
Kishor was part of the BJP’s national election campaign in 2014 when it returned to power with a majority on its own. His association with PM Modi began in 2010 as an advisor to the then Gujarat chief minister on healthcare. Ahead of the 2014 national elections, Kishor created campaigns and employed over 1,200 members to run Modi’s campaign across 13 states.
Boosting Kejriwal
The AAP led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal won only one seat out of over 40 it contested across India in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. After the defeat, Kishor became the campaign strategist for Kejriwal. In the run-up to the 2020 Delhi Assembly polls, Kishore coined slogans such as " “Lage raho Kejriwal" and reportedly micromanaged all aspects of the CM’s campaign, including the launch of the “guarantee card”. AAP was re-elected after winning a handsome 62 seats out of 70.
Punjab win
Kishor also reportedly turned around then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s image within a year and ensured Congress's win in the 2017 election. By creating strategies and devising “Coffee with Captain” and “Punjab da Captain” campaigns, Kishor ensured that Singh becomes the CM.
YSR Congress
In 2017, YSR Congress Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy introduced Kishor as his new political strategist. Ahead of the 2019 Andhra Pradesh elections, Kishor designed campaigns for Reddy including a 3,648-km-long “praja sankalpa yatra”. The YSR Congress's symbol, the Fan, won by a huge margin, leaving TDP's Bicycle, and Janasena Party's Empty Glass far behind.
Mamata Banerjee’s 2021 win
According to reports, soon after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP won 18 of the state's 42 seats in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee approached Kishor. Kishor's I-PAC came up with the “Didi Ke Bolo” (Tell Didi) campaign under which citizens could directly approach the CM. From highlighting various state government schemes to educating district-level leaders about the pitfalls of social media blunders, Kishor’s I-PAC team devised a clever strategy for Banerjee. The Trinamool Congress headed by the CM crossed the double century mark in the 2021 assembly polls.
Stalin’s victory
Kishor also proved successful in leading DMK’s MK Stalin to win the Assembly election and become the chief minister in the 2021 polls. Kishor reportedly re-branded Stalin in line with the iconic figure and former CM M Karunanidhi in the political landscape of the state.
Only blots
The major red blot on Kishor’s report card is perhaps the 2017 Uttar Pradesh election. Kishor was the brain behind the Congress-Samajwadi tie-up. However, he failed to recreate his magic and coudln't help Congress taste power in the state. Kishor planned joint roadshows of Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and coined the slogan “UP Ko Yeh Saath Pasand Hai”.
However, the campaign failed to take off as the BJP, riding on the PM Modi wave, swept Uttar Pradesh.
Kishor also briefly advised Captain Amarinder Singh and later the Congress campaign in Punjab in 2022. However, after internal rifts and confusion over his role, he distanced himself. The Congress was reduced to 18 seats, while AAP swept the state.
Kishor's biggest electoral test yet
A Bihari, Kishor has now returned to his home state, not as a strategist but a contender. Since 1995, the Bihar elections have been a contest between Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. Many say Kishor’s entry may not impact the state’s political landscape.
While he has been targeting the RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his "family first" ethos. He has even been trading guns with the JD (U). He's even staked his career for the election, saying that he will retire from politics if Nitish Kumar's JD(U) wins more than 25 seats.
In Bihar, Kishor is also taking a bold gambit of ditching caste politics and focusing heavily on a reforms-focused campaign. The JSP’s campaign focuses on education, employment and governance reforms, which can resonate with younger voters. Bihar has an estimated 7.5 crore young and first-time voters who have no memories of pre-Lalu-Nitish era.
Political observers say that as a Brahmin, Kishor can chip away at the NDA’s crucial Upper Caste base and the disillusioned non-Yadav OBCs who feel neglected.
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