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.
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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.
00:43It 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 Prashant Kishun not contesting from any ticket in Bihar.
01:12Given the fact that he has done aggressive campaigning,
01:16door-to-door campaigning in Bihar,
01:17for three long years,
01:19he met a lot of people in Bihar,
01:21talked about their issues,
01:23understood 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
01:36has recognized that he needs to give them the backing
01:39and 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 Prashant Kishore
01:50that Eddie Enro already 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,
02:04he may have been in some sort of difficulty.
02:06And therefore, what he's saying now is
02:08that 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,
02:30does not, he lose three, four days?
02:32So, all of this is okay to say.
02:34But as a political analyst, you know, as a journalist,
02:36that of course, when you campaign,
02:38you have to be there for three, four days.
02:39So, I think this is a defensive tactic.
02:41So far, Prashant Kishore 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
02:49India is now becoming a more matured society.
02:52And we need to now start talking about complex issues.
02:55But I'm seeing that,
02:58and everybody is seeing that in Bihar elections,
03:00people are again leaning on political rhetorics
03:03like Jangal Raj or Bihari Asmita.
03:06We are still not talking about key issues,
03:08barring a few leaders, that includes Prashant Kishore also.
03:11Because he's actually dissecting the issues,
03:14providing the solutions.
03:15Because I've also seen you providing solutions on various issues.
03:19And just a follow-up question to that,
03:21do you think that Congress Party is fighting the right battles?
03:24We have seen Rahul Gandhi on ground talking a lot about SIR
03:28and 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?
03:38The SIR was not an issue.
03:40It was an issue in the beginning
03:41to get people of Bihar together,
03:44to get the karyakartas of the Congress Party and RG together.
03:47But beyond that, it's not an issue because the SIR has done
03:50and whatever has happened,
03:52if so many names are deleted,
03:53people would have been on the ground.
03:55I think the right issues for people to address are
03:57employment, 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,
04:09attacking industrialists.
04:10There are bigger things that India needs to address.
04:13And what India is forgetting is,
04:15of Indian politicians are forgetting is,
04:17the youth of India today are aspirational.
04:19The youth sitting today somewhere in a rural constituency in Bihar
04:23wants 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
04:34healthcare, education and a future roadmap.
04:37I think it is important that political parties
04:39now 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,
04:45these will be issues that I will take center stage.
04:47What do you think this time around,
04:49people of Bihar will vote on the basis of caste
04:51or will they vote on the basis of what's being promised in manifesto,
04:55which will be out in a couple of days
04:56or on the development aspect,
04:58what are the people of Bihar going to vote on this time around?
05:02Caste is one factor.
05:03It's not the only factor.
05:04Caste is one factor and it's not only in Bihar or Ruttapadish.
05:07Caste is a factor everywhere.
05:09For example, Maharashtra, you have the Marathas,
05:11the Brahmins, the OBCs, etc.
05:13In Karnataka, you have Vokaliga,
05:16you have Lingayat, you have other castes,
05:17you have the SCs, the STs.
05:19So, you know, every place you have caste politics playing out.
05:23You have the Kham in Gujarat,
05:26you have the Patel factor in Gujarat.
05:29So, everywhere caste plays out.
05:31Caste is not only based in Bihar,
05:35that Bihar is a factor.
05:36It's highlighted more, but it's not a factor.
05:38I'm hoping that people of Bihar,
05:41as the people of India,
05:42vote for their future and the future of their kids.
05:46For far too long, people have voted on caste,
05:48on religion,
05:50on 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,
06:07every politician who wants to create a divided society,
06:10their 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 5-7 years.
06:23With the coming of AI, quantum computers,
06:25the world is going to change.
06:26We'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,
06:39and especially Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, Samrat Chaudhary,
06:43there is a lot of discussion about his educational qualification,
06:46discussion about Prashant Kishore's close confidant,
06:49Uda Singh's qualification.
06:50As a political analyst,
06:53I want to know your point of view,
06:54how important it is for a politician to be educated.
06:58I know that you've talked about how intellect needs to go alongside
07:01with the experience that you have on ground.
07:05But how important it is for these politicians
07:07who have all the experience of ground,
07:10but they also need to have some educational qualification.
07:13What is your point of view?
07:14So, there's also about Tejasvi Yadav,
07:16his educational qualifications.
07:19So, look, the fact that 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
07:35to be able to develop.
07:37The fact of the matter is,
07:39you must have practical knowledge
07:40and practical sense of how you're going to develop.
07:42So, I think the fact is,
07:44while education is one role,
07:46it is important.
07:48Samrat Chaudhary's case is the worst
07:49because 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
07:56about all his educational qualifications,
07:58making up things and buying degrees
08:00or claiming to have degrees and PhDs
08:03that 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,
08:11that, again, frankly, I didn't know
08:15because he comes from one of the most families
08:18that has the most IAS and IPS officers in Bihar.
08:21So, how did Uday Singh not have a degree
08:24or how is he only 12 past?
08:26It's something he will have to clarify.
08:28However, the fact of the matter is,
08:32what we need is somebody who has a widget,
08:34irrespective of whether they have
08:35an educational qualification or no.
08:37But Samrat Chaudhary is not acceptable
08:38because he's lying about what he's failing.
08:41Irrespective of the fact that
08:42who is accepting what about
08:44their educational qualification,
08:46but do you think that he is very young,
08:48he might have experienced,
08:50but do you think that Tejasvi Adhav
08:51being the chief ministerial face of Bihar,
08:54do you think that he has a roadmap for Bihar?
08:57Do you think that he has a vision for Bihar?
08:59He should have been more articulate
09:00about 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
09:10seems to be a little difficult to fulfill.
09:13You know, a lot of politicians around the elections
09:15talk about giving freebies, giving jobs,
09:18and that only happens around elections.
09:20So, a lot of people are relying on freebies.
09:23And a lot of people are also correlating
09:25how in Delhi a lot of people gave chance
09:27to Arvind Kajripal.
09:28And this time around,
09:29they 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 healthcare.
09:41The best in the world.
09:43And what Hena can afford in healthcare,
09:44what Taiseem can afford in healthcare,
09:46what my child can afford in education,
09:48the poorest of poor,
09:49their children should afford in education and healthcare.
09:52However, the freebie that is going on,
09:55freebie culture,
09:56scooters, laptops, this, that.
09:59It's been destroying our country.
10:02You and I as taxpayers are paying.
10:04And you see the highest number of immigration
10:06and H&Is are leaving India.
10:09Why?
10:10Because the taxes on us,
10:11we are bearing this.
10:12And you're giving everybody free.
10:142,000 rupees a month,
10:153,000 rupees a month you're giving to.
10:17You must give it to people
10:19who are senior citizens,
10:22people 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,
10:333,000 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
10:46who has done this in the past.
10:48Everyone.
10:49The poor people.
10:51You're giving free laptops.
10:54Give it to poor people.
10:55Poor kids.
10:55You can't give everybody free laptops.
10:58Those who can afford a laptop,
10:59you shouldn't be giving them.
11:01So, we must have an idea of what is happening.
11:04It has to be linked to
11:06certain amount of economic criteria.
11:08If we do this,
11:10the nation will collapse.
11:12Look.
11:13Ultimately,
11:14in the case of Bihar,
11:16approximately the budget is
11:183,25,000 crore rupees.
11:19Approximately plus minus.
11:211,25,000 crore rupees is salaries.
11:25Now another 1,25,000,
11:271,30,000 crores will go into freebies.
11:29That's 2,500,000 crores goals.
11:32Then you have to service your debt,
11:33etc.
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
11:43so that value of those assets go up
11:46and people can get jobs based on those assets
11:48and improve their livelihood.
11:50We must give people dignity,
11:51not freebies.
11:53But a lot of people are not even aware
11:55of who the MLA candidate is
11:58from their constituency.
11:59How are they going to vote
12:00and choose right candidate?
12:02They are only talking about parties
12:04that I will vote for NDA,
12:06I will vote for, you know,
12:07Maha Gadbandhan,
12:08I will vote for Jan Suraj,
12:09but they do not know about
12:10who the candidate is,
12:12what is their background,
12:13what is the manifesto say.
12:15Do you think that there is a need
12:17to raise awareness on that level also,
12:19especially in the state of Bihar?
12:20One hundred percent.
12:23Not just state of Bihar,
12:24everywhere.
12:25Youngsters today,
12:26people today don't know their MLA are,
12:27they don't know who their MP is.
12:29Look,
12:30yes,
12:30we have a political party
12:32and a party form of democracy,
12:34which is going to be
12:35vote for a political party.
12:36But it is so important
12:38to know your candidate
12:38because you can hold
12:39your candidate accountable.
12:41Your candidate has to go
12:42to the legislative assembly
12:43and raise your voice.
12:44How can we not know
12:46what a candidate is?
12:47And that to me is telling
12:48Nicheji 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,
12:57money does not grow on trees.
13:00This is our money
13:01and unless we don't hold
13:02our elected representatives accountable,
13:05how will it work?
13:06We have to.
13:07That is the basis of democracy
13:09and it is heartbreaking
13:10that in a politically aware state
13:12like BRSU report,
13:13people are just directly voting
13:15for Nithijji or Modi Ji
13:16or Tejasvi
13:17or Prashant Kishore
13:18and they don't even know
13:19their candidate is.
13:21That's not how it should work.
13:22You have to grill your candidate.
13:24You have to ask
13:25your candidate questions.
13:26Slowly and slowly,
13:27you are becoming a cult-driven
13:29or personality-driven
13:30political system,
13:32not a grassroot-driven
13:34political system.
13:34And that is the reason why
13:36nepotism is thriving in India.
13:40Thriving.
13:41You look at all across India,
13:42from Jammu and Kashmir
13:44to Tamil Nadu,
13:45from the Northeast
13:46to the West,
13:49you have only nepotism,
13:51only nepotism thriving.
13:53And not just in politics,
13:54in all fields of life,
13:56your films,
13:57your movies,
13:59judiciary,
14:00you have nepotism
14:00that's thriving
14:01and it is so wrong.
14:03When will the actual
14:04meritocratic person
14:06get his or her due?
14:08That is important
14:09that we have to fight for.
14:10In your point of view,
14:12what could be
14:12those two to three ways
14:14in which Bihar
14:15can be changed
14:16and the big issues
14:19can be tackled?
14:20One,
14:22cut down the bureaucracy
14:23by 50%.
14:25First,
14:26number two,
14:27it's going to take
14:28a long time
14:29to get industries
14:30into Bihar.
14:30It's not because
14:31Bihar
14:32lacks anything.
14:35It's because
14:35for an industry
14:36to move
14:37and set up
14:38takes time.
14:40So,
14:40immediately focus
14:41on the service industry.
14:43The service industry
14:44will create jobs
14:45in Bihar.
14:45number three,
14:47Bihar's integration
14:48is important
14:49to the rest of the world
14:50and the rest of the country
14:51and the rest of the world
14:52because Bihar
14:53offers something
14:54that the other places
14:56cannot offer
14:57which is
14:58a unique
14:59human resource talent
15:01which is very,
15:02very hardworking.
15:04That talent
15:04must be
15:06used correctly
15:07by the government
15:09for the development
15:10of Bihar
15:10thereby enabling
15:11those Bihar citizens
15:13to stay in their state
15:14and help their state progress.
15:16These are the three
15:16key factors
15:17that we need to focus on
15:18immediately in the short period.
15:20Teseen,
15:21this time
15:21who do you think
15:22is going to clinch
15:23the victory in Bihar?
15:25It's a close fight.
15:27It's a very close fight
15:28and whoever holds
15:30their nerves will.
15:31It's a very close fight
15:33at this moment.
15:34But any guesses
15:36or any analysis
15:37that you would want
15:38to name a party?
15:40I would hope
15:40it's RGD Congress.
15:43So you think
15:43that Maha Ghatbandhan
15:44will form the government
15:45this time around?
15:46I'm hoping they will
15:47but it's a very close fight.
15:49But you must have
15:49analysed the situation
15:50and the aspirations
15:51of the people of Bihar.
15:53If you analyse
15:54the situation
15:54and the aspirations
15:55of the people of Bihar
15:56it should not be
15:56Nitish ji at all
15:57and the BJP
15:59because they've been
15:59in government.
16:01But the thing is
16:01that the BJP
16:02is such a good
16:02fighting machine
16:03that even in
16:04hopeless situations
16:05we've seen that
16:06in Haryana
16:06Maharashtra
16:07they've turned it around.
16:08So nothing is over
16:09till it's over.
16:09It's like a good
16:10cricket match.
16:11And then you have
16:12the Prashant Kishor factor.
16:13Where will he
16:14create an impact?
16:15But Prashant Kishor
16:16will in my opinion
16:17get less than 10% vote
16:19and he will not get
16:20less than 10 seats.
16:22In my opinion.
16:23I can put that on.
16:24You're saying that
16:24Prashant Kishor
16:25will only get
16:26less than 10 seats.
16:27Yes.
16:28However...
16:28he's hoping that
16:29he might get
16:30150 plus.
16:32I hope
16:33for democracy
16:34it's good
16:35and I have to
16:36congratulate
16:38Prashant Kishor
16:39for what he's done.
16:40Look, he's not
16:41an epoch yet.
16:42He's a hardworking person.
16:43He's taken risks.
16:44I mean
16:45as a political analyst
16:47I love what he's done.
16:49Can that translate?
16:50I don't think
16:51it is translating
16:51right now
16:52but there is
16:53an applaud for it.
16:54He's done something
16:54good.
16:55And you must
16:56and he's not
16:56gone into
16:57the rhetoric.
16:58He's tried to do
16:58something for
16:59the people of VR.
17:01Let's hope it works
17:02but my analysis
17:03when I was on ground
17:04seems that he's not
17:05crossing 10 seats.
17:06That's my analysis.
17:08Right.
17:08On that note
17:09thank you so much
17:09Thaisin
17:10for speaking
17:10and having this
17:12discussion.
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