Big Win for Prashant Kishor in Bihar.
Prashant Kishor’s victory in the Baki Pur (Bankipur) constituency of Bihar was considered a major achievement. BJP leader Nitin Navin had once remarked that “even a dog could stand here and win,” implying that the BJP was so dominant in the constituency that victory was guaranteed for its candidate. He often made such remarks because the BJP had won there repeatedly, and he himself had been elected from the constituency multiple times. The area consists of educated people, shopkeepers, and residents who frequently discuss politics at tea stalls, and the voting pattern had traditionally favored one side. Nitin Navin was also a well-known figure in Patna, and even his father had represented the constituency earlier.
In November 2025, however, Prashant Kishor achieved a significant victory. For two years, he had traveled across Bihar on foot, building support. Earlier, his party had failed to win seats in all 243 constituencies, and critics mocked him by saying that he could help others win elections but could not build a successful party of his own.
Prashant Kishor is widely known as a political strategist. He worked on Narendra Modi’s 2014 election campaign. Later, he helped Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav during their alliance, worked with Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, supported Arvind Kejriwal in Punjab and Delhi, and also worked in Tamil Nadu.
Prashant Kishor responded to his critics by saying, “I am not dead yet. Write me off only after I die.” He fought this election on his own, putting both his reputation and his 30-year political career at stake. Had he lost, many people would have said that both his party and his personal political career were finished. Politics has no permanent winners or losers.
During the campaign in November, Prashant Kishor spoke confidently and promised that he would transform Bihar, even saying that he could bring major change very quickly. Despite those bold claims, there was no dramatic wave in his favor. Voter turnout was around 34%, about 7% lower than in the previous election.
In the end, however, Prashant Kishor won. This raised an important question: if BJP leaders had claimed that “even a dog could win” from that constituency because it was considered an unshakable BJP stronghold, then why did the BJP lose there? Prashant Kishor’s strategic acumen challenged the notion of invincibility in politics, prompting observers to ponder the underlying factors that led to the BJP’s unexpected defeat in what was deemed a secure bastion. This outcome not only highlights his influence but also questions the efficacy of overconfidence in electoral dynamics.