Prashant Kishor, is an Indian political strategist and tactician. Before entering Indian politics, he spent eight years working on public health programs funded by the United Nations.
Kishor has provided strategic advice to various political parties, including the BJP, JD(U), INC, AAP, YSRCP, DMK, and TMC. His first major political role was in 2011 when he assisted Narendra Modi in his successful bid for re-election as Chief Minister of Gujarat in the 2012 Assembly Elections. Kishor gained widespread recognition when his election-campaign group, Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG), played a crucial role in helping the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secure a decisive victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Works done as a strategist:
In 2013, Kishor co-founded Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) with Robbin Sharrma and others to prepare for India’s 2014 general election. CAG’s innovative campaign for Narendra Modi included Chai Pe Charcha discussions, 3D rallies, Run for Unity, Manthan, and various social media initiatives.
In 2015, Kishor and his team, now rebranded as I-PAC, assisted Nitish Kumar in securing a third term as Chief Minister of Bihar. Following the election victory, Kumar appointed Kishor as his advisor to help implement his seven-point agenda. Kishor was also involved in the 2020 Bihar Legislative Assembly election.
In 2016, Kishor worked with the Indian National Congress for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, but Congress faced a significant defeat with the BJP winning over 300 seats and Congress only securing 7. This marked Kishor’s first major electoral failure.
Despite this setback, Kishor has achieved success with several other political leaders in India, including Amarinder Singh in the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the 2019 Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, Arvind Kejriwal in the 2020 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, Mamata Banerjee in the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, and M. K. Stalin in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election.
Retirement:
Following the victories of AITC in the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election and DMK in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, Kishor announced his departure from election strategizing. In a live interview on May 2, 2021, Kishor told anchor, “I do not want to continue what I am doing. I have done enough. It’s time for me to take a break and pursue other interests. I want to leave this field.”
Jan Suraaj:
A year after announcing his retirement from election strategizing, Kishor hinted at forming his own political party. On May 2, 2022, he tweeted about returning to “The Real Masters, The People,” and pursuing “Jan Suraaj—People’s Good Governance,” echoing his recent campaign “Baat Bihar Ki.” Kishor expressed interest in launching a party based in his home state of Bihar.
To advance this effort, Kishor announced a 3,000 km Padyatra, or foot march, across Bihar. This “Jan Suraaj Padyatra” aims to engage directly with residents throughout the state. One of the campaign’s primary goals is to establish a political party, which Kishor plans to contest in the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections.
Career:
Kishor was born to Shrikant Pandey, a physician, and Sushila Pandey, a homemaker, in Konar village, Sasaram, Rohtas district, Bihar. He later moved to Buxar, Bihar, where he completed his secondary education. Kishor is married to Jahnavi Das, a physician from Guwahati, Assam, and they have a son.
Initially working pro bono, Kishor served as a political strategist for the BJP‘s pre-election campaign without holding any official position in the party or Gujarat government. On September 16, 2018, he was appointed as a political strategist for Janata Dal (United), and a month later, on October 16, he became the party’s vice-president.