Patna, Oct. 17 -- As the Bihar assembly elections draw near, Prashant Kishor has positioned his political start-up, the Jan Suraaj Party as a disruptor in the state's crowded electoral field. Contesting all 243 seats, Kishor has chosen to stay out of the fray personally but is betting big on Bihar's appetite for change. In an extensive conversation at his Patna residence, he laid out his reading of the political landscape, from Nitish Kumar's fading clout to the irrelevance of smaller players, and explained why Jan Suraaj could either soar or sink - with nothing in between. Excerpts:

First of all, what is the reason behind the crowd in the Jan Suraaj office complex? Is it the PK effect or something more?

This is a desire for change. And...