Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has predicted that JD(U) president Nitish Kumar will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections in alliance with the BJP but may later attempt to switch sides in pursuit of another term as chief minister.

Speaking at a press conference in West Champaran, Kishor dismissed Kumar’s chances of securing a fifth consecutive term, citing his waning popularity.

"Anybody can become the chief minister after the elections, except Nitish Kumar. You can take this in writing. If I am proven wrong, I will abandon my political campaign," Kishor declared.

Amid speculation that Kumar may leave the NDA due to the BJP’s reluctance to name him as its chief ministerial candidate, Kishor asserted, "He will contest with the BJP. He has always done so, except in 2015, when I managed his campaign."

Kishor claimed the BJP is hesitant to project Kumar as the NDA’s CM face because of his diminishing popularity. "I challenge PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to declare that Nitish Kumar will serve a full five-year term if the NDA wins. If they do, the BJP will struggle to win seats," he said.

The former JD(U) vice president, expelled from the party in 2020, further predicted that JD(U) would perform poorly in the polls. He suggested that Kumar may try to switch sides once he realizes the BJP will not back him for another term. However, Kishor believes JD(U)’s poor seat count will render him ineligible for the top post.

Criticizing Kumar’s leadership, Kishor alleged that the CM is "physically tired and mentally retired," citing BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi’s past remarks about his mental health. "I have challenged him to name his own cabinet ministers without reading from a paper—he cannot. He even needs officials to remind him which district he is visiting," Kishor remarked.

He also criticized Kumar for "bringing disrepute to Bihar" by publicly touching PM Modi’s feet during the Union government’s swearing-in ceremony. "If he respects Modi so much, he could have done it privately. Instead, he resorts to sycophancy to cling to power," Kishor added, questioning why Kumar does not use his influence to revive Bihar’s struggling sugar industry.

Kishor emphasized that his Jan Suraaj Party aims to free Bihar from the decades-long political hold of Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad. He also blamed the BJP and Congress for enabling Bihar’s stagnation.

Targeting the state's prohibition policy, Kishor called it a "symbol of BJP’s hypocrisy." He questioned why the party does not implement liquor bans in other BJP-ruled states, stating, "In other states, they focus on growth and investments, but in Bihar, they believe five kg of free ration and 'sharaab-bandi' are enough."