Vote-cutter or X-factor? How Prashant Kishor can upset NDA, Mahagathbandhan arithmetic in Bihar

Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) is emerging as a game-changer in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

That said, a key question doing the rounds is -- whose prospects will it hurt more -- the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the Mahagathbandhan (MGB) led by the RJD, or both?

While the JSP is unlikely to win a significant number of seats, its primary impact could come as a vote-splitter, disrupting traditional voting patterns.

The NDA appears particularly vulnerable to the JSP’s rise.

Kishor, a Brahmin by caste, has targeted Nitish Kumar directly, claiming the JD(U) might secure fewer than 25 seats and branding his governance as a “bureaucratic jungle raj.” The JSP’s campaign focuses on education, employment, and governance reforms, strongly resonating with younge