New Delhi, Sep 25 : Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor is being watched closely as he readies to test the electoral waters with his Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

Kishor has entered an arena where the political battle was largely seen as being between two main groups.

As in recent polls, the Opposition 'Grand Alliance' of "Mahagathbandhan" (MGB) is the challenger to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

One pre-poll survey by an agency this month predicted a close race between the two players. In the 2020 Assembly polls, the NDA pipped the MGB with a close margin of just 0.03 per cent vote share, and with a dozen seats in the 243-member Assembly. Thus, in a close-finish situation again, if the JSP cuts into a small percentage of the mandate from either side, it would clearly emerge as the possible decider.

Going by the current poll predictions, though early, a 5 per cent penetration into either side would change the equation. This heightens the anticipation of a possible 'kingmaker', if not the entry of a new 'king'.

A fractured anti-incumbency mandate could benefit the ruling coalition, or alternatively, enable the JSP to win enough seats to support the Opposition in a hung assembly.

Early indications suggest JSP has some support base in south Bihar, though how far it will translate into votes is yet to be seen.

As per a survey made available this week, region-wise, Patna has 21 Assembly seats where Jan Suraj was found to have a strong hold in pockets. Certain parts in Saran, with 24 Assembly seats, were also reportedly found showing an inclination towards JSP.

Apparently, in many parts of Bhojpur (22 seats), people have reflected an inclination towards the new entrant. The successful pollster that he is, Kishor is also trying to get into the religion and caste equation of Bihar. The JSP is claiming to name at least 40 Muslim candidates when it declares its candidate list for all 243 seats.

However, Kishor is facing some resistance from the minority group, given his role as the poll consultant to Narendra Modi in the 2012 Gujarat Assembly elections and then the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Being the descendant of a forward caste family, he will need his skills to woo the Dalits, the Other Backward and Extremely Backward Classes, among others. Most of the forward caste voters are seen as supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the prominent constituent in the NDA.

But Kishor is leaving no stone unturned in his maiden foray into direct politics. He undertook a 'Jan Suraaj Yatra' to gauge public sentiment between October 2, 2022, from West Champaran and walked through more than 5,500 villages in two years.

In May this year, he embarked on a 120-day 'Bihar Badlaav Yatra'. He has continued his people-connect activities both in the field as well as in the virtual world.

Till now, he consulted established parties with pockets deep enough to hire his former organisation, reportedly for 'hundreds of crores'. He has mostly been successful, with one of his slogans, 'chai pe charcha,' going on to become a national hit.

Kishor supervised the operations of his organisation, I-PAC, till he decided to get into politics himself. He has earlier been at the helm of affairs for a short period in Janata Dal (United) as Nitish Kumar's deputy, till he fell out with his boss, reportedly on the latter's flip-flop decisions over political alignments.

/IANS