- 10 months ago
In this EXCLUSIVE interview with Asianet News, political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla praises Prashant Kishore’s innovative and data-driven approach to Bihar politics while expressing skepticism about Jan Suraaj's electoral prospects, predicting they may win fewer than 10 seats. Poonawalla delves deeper into Bihar’s ongoing political saga, discussing the culture of freebies, the struggles faced by Bihar immigrants and more. Watch.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Joining us today at Asianet News is political analyst and commentator Tahseen Punewala.
00:14He's also a Congress supporter, but he doesn't shy away from being critical to Congress party
00:20when it comes to the matters of national interest.
00:24Thank you so much, Tahseen, for speaking with Asianet News
00:27on such an important topic of Bihar Assembly Elections 2025.
00:31I want to begin this conversation by talking about the political wave in Bihar.
00:34Do you think that there is a huge anti-incumbency in Bihar?
00:38Yes, there is a massive anti-incumbency in Bihar.
00:42It is particularly against Nitishji.
00:45Nitishji is not popular as a chief minister.
00:48I know this will come as a surprise.
00:50But people think that Nitishji did some good work in the beginning of his tenure.
00:55However, his governance has slept.
00:56There is widespread corruption in Bihar.
00:59There is widespread anger in Bihar.
01:01And there is resentment against the present government in Bihar.
01:05Yes, I do believe this.
01:07Let's address the issue of Prashank Kishun not contesting from any ticket in Bihar.
01:12Given the fact that he has done aggressive campaigning, door-to-door campaigning in Bihar,
01:17for three long years, he met a lot of people in Bihar, talked about their issues, understood the ground realities.
01:24Now, it is such a crucial time when people had high hopes from him.
01:28He withdrew.
01:29How do you look at it?
01:30Do you think that it is a campaign strategy?
01:32Because he has said that it is because the leadership of the party has recognized that he needs to give them the backing and not fight the elections directly.
01:41But it seems like this logic doesn't fit in.
01:45So, there are two aspects to it.
01:47One, I have a lot of respect for Prashank Kishor that Eddie Ennuri, he started a political party.
01:54How many people can do it?
01:55So, kudos to him.
01:56As a political analyst, I think he's done it.
01:58He's created a buzz.
01:59I think had he contested against Tejasui Yadav, he may have been in some sort of difficulty.
02:06And therefore, what he's saying now is that the party realized that they require him to campaign.
02:12He will lose three, four days.
02:14Tell me something, Hina.
02:15And you've covered politics while I analyze politics.
02:18Did he know this in the beginning?
02:20Is it suddenly a shock?
02:22Is Tejasui not going to lose three, four days?
02:24Is somebody else who's campaigning not going to lose three, four days?
02:27So, when the Honorable Prime Minister contests from Varanasi, he does not, he loses three, four days?
02:32So, all of this is okay to say.
02:34But as a political analyst, you know, as a journalist, that of course, when you campaign, you have to be there for three, four days.
02:39So, I think this is a defensive tactic.
02:41So far, Prashank Kishor was on the front foot.
02:44This definitely has harmed the party by him not contesting.
02:47In one of your interviews, you said that India is now becoming a more matured society.
02:52And we need to now start talking about complex issues.
02:55But I'm seeing that, and everybody is seeing that in Bihar elections, people are again leaning on political rhetorics, like Jangal Raj or Bihari Asmita.
03:06We are still not talking about key issues, barring a few leaders, that includes Prashank Kishor also.
03:11Because he's actually dissecting the issues, providing the solutions.
03:15Because I've also seen you providing solutions on various issues.
03:19And just a follow-up question to that, do you think that Congress party is fighting the right battles?
03:24We have seen Rahul Gandhi on ground talking a lot about SIR and, you know, talking against Election Commission of India.
03:32This issue now on ground, nobody is talking about.
03:34Do you think that Congress has chosen the right battles in Bihar?
03:37The SIR was not an issue.
03:40It was an issue in the beginning to get people of Bihar together, to get the karykartas of the Congress party and RGT together.
03:48But beyond that, it's not an issue because the SIR has done and whatever has happened, if so many names are deleted, people would have been on the ground.
03:54I think the right issues for people to address are employment, joblessness, growth, development.
04:02I think India needs a new narrative and new politics.
04:05We are tired of the same politics of caste, religion, attacking industrialists.
04:10There are bigger things that India needs to address.
04:13And what India is forgetting is, or Indian politicians are forgetting, is the youth of India today are aspirational.
04:19The youth sitting today somewhere in a rural constituency in Bihar wants and has the same dreams as somebody sitting in Mumbai.
04:27A better life, better clothes, better health, a good family.
04:31And I think these are the issues that we need to articulate about health care, education and a future roadmap.
04:37I think it is important that political parties now start talking about this.
04:41So I hope that that is the future course of action in politics.
04:44I know that as I enter, these will be issues that I will take center stage.
04:47What do you think this time around, people of Bihar will vote on the basis of caste?
04:51Or will they vote on the basis of what's being promised in Manifesto, which will be out in a couple of days?
04:56Or on the development aspect, what are the people of Bihar going to vote on this time around?
05:02Caste is one factor, it's not the only factor.
05:04Caste is one factor and it's not only in Bihar or Ruta Pradesh.
05:07Caste is a factor every day.
05:09For example, in Maharashtra, you have the Marathas, the Brahmins, the OVCs, etc.
05:12In Karnataka, you have Vokaliga, you have Lingayat, you have other castes, you have SCs, STs.
05:19So, you know, every place you have caste politics playing out.
05:23You have the Kham in Gujarat, you have the Patel factor in Gujarat.
05:29So everywhere caste plays out.
05:31Caste is not only based in Bihar, that Bihar is a factor.
05:36It's highlighted more, but it's not a factor.
05:38I'm hoping that people of Bihar, as the people of India, vote for their future and the future of their kids.
05:46For far too long, people have voted on caste, on religion, on issues of putting other people down.
05:55For once, vote for what you give to your kids.
05:58That is the important thing.
05:59How will you make your kids' life better and your life better?
06:01That should be the roadmap ahead.
06:03That is what I firmly believe in.
06:04Every politician who spreads hate, every politician who wants to create a divided society, their kids go to the best universities.
06:12Their kids go to the best schools.
06:14They make poor people fight over religion and caste.
06:18So I think we need to go beyond.
06:19We need to go to a new world.
06:21And the world order is going to change in the next five, seven years.
06:23With the coming of AI, quantum computers, the world is going to change.
06:27We've got to be prepared for that.
06:28We've got to be prepared to empower our youth to deal with that.
06:31So I think this is extremely important to look at.
06:34We're also seeing a lot of discussion of how a few political candidates, and especially Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Samrat Chaudhary.
06:43There is a lot of discussion about his educational qualification, discussion about Prashant Kishore's close confidant, Uda Singh's qualification.
06:50As a political analyst, I want to know your point of view, how important it is for a politician to be educated.
06:58I know that you've talked about how intellect needs to go alongside with the experience that you have on ground.
07:05But how important it is for these politicians who have all the experience of ground, but they also need to have some educational qualification.
07:13What is your point of view?
07:14So there's also about Tejasvi Yadav, his educational qualifications.
07:19So look, the fact is, it's not about educational qualifications.
07:22In Samrat Chaudhary's case, he's lying, period.
07:26Tejasvi is not lying about his educational qualifications.
07:29Is education important to an extent?
07:33Yes, but you don't have to be very well educated to be able to develop.
07:36The fact of the matter is, you must have practical knowledge and practical sense of how you're going to develop.
07:43So I think the fact is, while education is one role, it is important.
07:48Samrat Chaudhary's case is the worst because he's lying about things.
07:51And that is the worst thing to do.
07:53Lying about everything.
07:54Samrat Chaudhary has just been lying about all his educational qualifications, making up things and buying degrees or claiming to have degrees and PhDs that don't exist or exist or whatever.
08:05He can't clarify on that.
08:07Tejasvi is not lying.
08:08As so far as Prashant Kishore's president is concerned, that again, frankly, I didn't know because he comes from one of the most families that has the most IS and IPS officers in Bihar.
08:21So how did Uday Singh not have a degree or how is he only 12 past?
08:26It's something he will have to clarify.
08:28However, the fact of the matter is, what we need is somebody who has a vision, irrespective of whether they have an educational qualification or no.
08:37But Samrat Chaudhary is not accepting because he's lying about what he's failing.
08:40Irrespective of the fact that who is accepting what about their educational qualification, but do you think that he is very young, he might have experienced, but do you think that Tejasvi Adhav being the chief ministerial face of Bihar, do you think that he has a roadmap for Bihar?
08:57Do you think that he has a vision for Bihar?
08:58He should have been more articulate about his educational vision for Bihar.
09:03That he's not been able to do.
09:05And he's spoken about a government job in every house.
09:08The economy of that or the economic size of that seems to be a little difficult to fulfill.
09:13You know, a lot of politicians around the elections talk about giving freebies, giving jobs, and that only happens around elections.
09:20So a lot of people are relying on freebies.
09:23And a lot of people are also correlating how in Delhi a lot of people gave chance to Arvind Kejripal and this time around they need to give chance to Jan Suraj.
09:31Freebies are destroying our country.
09:34I am a welfarist.
09:35I believe welfarism is extremely important.
09:37I think every child should have quality education.
09:40Every Indian should have quality health care.
09:41The best in the world.
09:43And what Heena can afford in health care, what Taiseem can afford in health care, what my child can afford in education, the poorest of poor, their children should afford in health care.
09:50Education and health care.
09:52However, the freebie that is going on, freebie culture, scooties, laptops, this, that, it's been destroying our country.
10:02You and I as taxpayers are paying.
10:04And you see the highest number of immigration and H&Is are leaving India.
10:09Why?
10:10Because the taxes on us, we are bearing this.
10:12And you're giving everybody free.
10:142,000 rupees a month, 3,000 rupees a month you're giving to.
10:17You must give it to people who are senior citizens, people who are differently abled.
10:23They must get a pension.
10:24I don't deny it.
10:25And they must get very high pension.
10:26Because they deserve a right of dignity.
10:28They've contributed all their life to the country.
10:31But you can't be giving young women 3,000 and 4,000 rupees a month.
10:3510,000 rupees is now being given by the BJP.
10:37This is our money.
10:38You're just giving people freebie.
10:40This cannot happen.
10:41And this has to stop at some point.
10:44You're also criticizing Congress Party who has done this in the past.
10:48Everyone.
10:49The poor people.
10:50I, you are giving free laptops.
10:54Give it to poor people.
10:55Poor kids.
10:56You can't give everybody free laptops.
10:58Those who can afford a laptop, you shouldn't be giving them.
11:01So, we must have an idea of what is happening.
11:04It has to be linked to certain amount of economic criteria.
11:08Now, if we do this, the nation will collapse.
11:12Look, ultimately, in the case of Bihar, approximately the budget is 3,25,000 crore rupees.
11:19Approximately plus minus.
11:211,25,000 crore rupees is salaries.
11:25Now, another 1,25,000, 1,30,000 crores will go in these freebies.
11:29That's 2,500,000 crores goals.
11:32Then you have to service your debt, etc.
11:34All of that.
11:35What money is left for development?
11:37What money is left for creating new assets?
11:40You must create new assets so that that value of those assets go up and people can get jobs based on those assets and improve their livelihood.
11:50We must give people dignity, not freebies.
11:52But a lot of people are not even aware of who the MLA candidate is from their constituency.
11:59How are they going to vote and choose right candidate?
12:02They are only talking about parties.
12:04That I will vote for NDA.
12:06I will vote for, you know, Mahagadbandan.
12:08I will vote for Jan Suraj.
12:09But they do not know about who the candidate is, what is their background, what is the manifesto state.
12:15Do you think that there is a need to raise awareness on that level also, especially in the state of Bihar?
12:20100%.
12:21100%.
12:22Not just state of Bihar, everywhere.
12:25Youngsters today, people today don't know who their MLA are.
12:27They don't know who their MP is.
12:29Look, yes, we have a political party and a party form of democracy, which is going to be vote for a political party.
12:36But it is so important to know your candidate because you can hold your candidate accountable.
12:41Your candidate has to go to the Legislative Assembly and raise your voice.
12:45How can we not know what a candidate is?
12:47And that to me is telling Nithi Ji is giving freebies.
12:50Modi Ji is giving freebies.
12:52Everyone is giving freebies.
12:53Where will this money come from?
12:55Manmohan Singh Ji said money does not grow on trees.
13:00This is our money.
13:01And unless we don't hold our elected representatives accountable, how will it work?
13:06We have to.
13:07That is the basis of democracy.
13:09And it is heartbreaking that in a politically aware state like BRSU report, people are just directly voting for Nithi Ji or Modi Ji or Tejasvi or Prashant Kishore and they don't even know their candidate is.
13:21That's not how it should work.
13:22You have to grill your candidate.
13:24You have to ask your candidate questions.
13:26Slowly and slowly, you are becoming a cult-driven or personality-driven political system, not a grassroot-driven political system.
13:35And that is the reason why nepotism is thriving in India.
13:40Thriving.
13:41You look at all across India, from Jammu and Kashmir to Tamil Nadu, from the Northeast to the West, you have only nepotism.
13:51Only nepotism thriving.
13:52And not just in politics, in all fields of life.
13:56You have films, you have movies, you have judiciary, you have nepotism that's thriving and it is so wrong.
14:03When will the actual meritocratic person get his or her due?
14:08That is important that we have to fight for.
14:10In your point of view, what could be those two to three ways in which Bihar can be changed?
14:18And the big issues can be tackled?
14:21One, cut down the bureaucracy by 50%.
14:25First, number two, it's going to take a long time to get industries into Bihar.
14:30It's not because Bihar lacks anything.
14:35It's because for an industry to move and set up takes time.
14:39So, immediately focus on the service industry.
14:42The service industry will create jobs in Bihar.
14:45Number three, Bihar's integration is important to the rest of the world and the rest of the country and the rest of the world.
14:52Because Bihar offers something that the other places cannot offer, which is a unique human resource talent, which is very, very hard working.
15:04That talent must be used correctly by the government for the development of Bihar, thereby enabling those Bihar citizens to stay in their state and help the state progress.
15:15These are the three key factors that we need to focus on immediately in the short term.
15:20But, Teseen, this time, who do you think is going to clinch the victory in Bihar?
15:26It's a close fight.
15:27It's a very close fight.
15:29And whoever holds their nerves will.
15:31It's a very close fight at this moment.
15:33But any guesses or any analysis that you would want to name a party?
15:40I would hope it's RGD Congress.
15:43So, you think that Mahagadbandhan will form the government this time around?
15:46I'm hoping they will.
15:48But it's a very close fight.
15:49But you must have analysed the situation and the aspirations of the people of Bihar.
15:52If you analyse the situation and the aspirations of the people of Bihar, it should not be Nitishji at all and the BJP because they've been in government.
16:01But the thing is that the BJP is such a good fighting machine that even in hopeless situations, we've seen that in Haryana, Maharashtra did turn it around.
16:08So, nothing is over till it's over.
16:09It's like a good cricket match.
16:11And then you have the Prashant Kishore factor.
16:13Where will he create an impact?
16:15But Prashant Kishore will, in my opinion, get less than 10% vote and he will not get less than 10 seats.
16:22In my opinion.
16:23I can put that on.
16:24You're saying that Prashant Kishore will only get less than 10 seats.
16:27Yes.
16:28But he's hoping that he might get 150 plus.
16:32I hope.
16:33For democracy, it's good.
16:35And I have to congratulate Prashant Kishore for what he's done.
16:40Look, he's not an epochrit.
16:42He's a hardworking person.
16:43He's taken risks.
16:44He, I mean, as a political analyst, I love what he's done.
16:49Can that translate?
16:50I don't think it is translating right now.
16:52But there is an applaud for it.
16:54He's done something good.
16:55And you must, and he's not gone into the rhetoric.
16:58He's tried to do something for the people of VR.
17:01Let's hope it works.
17:02But my analysis, when I was on ground, seems that he's not crossing 10 seats.
17:06That's my analysis.
17:08Right.
17:08On that note, thank you so much, Tessin, for speaking with Asian News.
17:12And having this discussion.
Comments