Too early to write ‘obituary’ of Prashant Kishor’s party

Looking at results of the Bihar elections, one may be persuaded to dub Mr. Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) 'a non-starter' or 'total failure'. But its total vote tally of 3.4 per cent prompts political observers to not write the political obituary of the party that made its first foray into the tough political terrain of Bihar, a state low on economic development but high in terms of political consciousness.

Analysis shows that 236 of the total 238 candidates fielded by the JSP lost their deposits. But the fact that its candidates notched up third spot in nearly half the constituencies should not be missed. Its total vote count is more than the votes polled by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM and the three Left parties.

Significantly, the BSP won one seat in a constituency skirting the border of Uttar Pradesh while AIMIM cornered five seats in the north-eastern corner of the State called Seemanchal. All that it implies is that the JSP has registered its presence all across the state, though in small measure.

The party forcefully raised the issues of palayan (out migration from the state) and deterioration of standards of education, issues which major parties were forced to take up. His appeal was majorly focused on youth and the educated class and is all likely to be sustained what with Kishor himself refusing to leave the battlefront Bihar.