India, Aug. 25 -- Prashant Kishor has taken the oath as MLA from Bankipur, and the first real scorecard for his politics will likely be written in employment numbers, not vote counts. Jobs and self-employment, more than any other portfolio, will decide whether his new role is seen as substance or spectacle.

He has pledged to help 10,000 young people from his constituency find work. Barely has the promise settled when Purnea MP Pappu Yadav, who has long positioned himself as a benefactor of Bihar's job seekers, raised the stakes further - announcing that 30-40 companies will visit Purnea, reportedly with Rahul Gandhi in attendance, to offer jobs to roughly the same number of youths. Two politicians, two nearly identical figures, one obvio...