Poll consultant Prashant Kishor on Thursday said he would “stay in Bihar” and outlined his plans to hold a 3,000km padyatra and, if the public wants, form a political party.

He did not rule out joining the Congress — with which his negotiations to join and revive the party broke down recently — but said he would still stay in Bihar if that happened.

“We have identified around 17,000 to 18,000 eminent political and non-political people and are in touch with them to discuss and understand the issues in Bihar,” Kishor told journalists here.

“We want to ask them about the solutions and ensure their participation. If a large number of them want a new political party, we will announce it.”

Kishor, 45, has over the past three days held discussions with around 150 RTI activists, student leaders, doctors, social workers and other people in Patna.

The poll consultant, who has offered successful services to various political parties in general and state elections over the past eight years, said it would be August or September by the time the planned interactions were over.

“I shall start a 3,000km march from the Gandhi Ashram in West Champaran district on October 2 to reach people in the villages and cities and understand their problems, viewpoints, hopes and aspirations,” he said. “This will take anywhere from eight months to a year.”

Kishor said he wanted development and “jan suraaj” or good governance by the people.

Sources said Kishor was still in touch with the Congress and might be eyeing the reins of the party’s Bihar unit with the possibility of contesting the 2025 Assembly elections.

Kishor said his organisation I-PAC was in good hands and he would no longer involve himself in its functioning.

Kishor had earlier too attempted to enter politics. Chief minister Nitish Kumar had in September 2018 appointed him JDU national vice-president — the number two in the hierarchy — but he quit in January 2020 amid differences with Nitish and other party leaders.

He then launched a Baat Bihar Ki programme to connect with 1 crore people across 8,800 panchayats and work for the development of the state. On Thursday, he said the pandemic had halted the effort.

Kishor’s father Srikant Pandey was a doctor in Buxar and a close associate of former Congress Lok Sabha member K.K. Tiwari.