Taking a step closer to the formation of his own party, political strategist Prashant Kishor Thursday spoke about exploring the mood of people over the next four months in his own home state Bihar days after his talks to join the Congress turned unsuccessful.

Kishor, who is looking to rejoin active politics, Thursday launched a campaign, dubbed as Jan Suraaj, where he will interact with people of his state and also undertake a 3000-km walk from Gandhi Ashram from Oct 2.

Though he did not spill much beans about his plans, Kishor tried to portray his all inclusive image stating, “I can’t say I will be the head of the party or become the Chief Minister. I will associate with people who will be equally significant in the party if it is launched at all.”

Kishor’s solo identity in politics is at least confirmed from his words where he launched equal attacks on former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his successor Nitish Kumar, with whom he had worked earlier, holding them responsible for Bihar’s “backwardness”.

Kishor said, “Both the leaders have done nothing for the state. Even after ruling for so long, Bihar is the most backward state in India.”

Important to note, Kishor was the vice president in Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), which is ruling the state and also an ally of the Centre’s incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

After Kishor went against Kumar’s stand on the new controversial citizenship issue, he was expelled from the JD(U), which runs a coalition government in Bihar with the BJP.

Kishor’s launching of the campaign occurred days after his talks with the Congress over its revival for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections fell flat.

Putting to rest months of speculation, Kishor had declined an offer to join the Congress as part of the Empowered Action Group 2024 to strategise the roadmap for the next general elections.

After helping Narendra Modi to win the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kishor has worked with a series of anti-BJP parties including the Congress and very latest West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC).

After Banerjee stormed back to power in the 2021 state polls, Kishor had announced quit from his work and expressed his intent to rejoin politics.