Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had suggested that Prashant Kishor “may want to stay with and help” BJP after the latter dismissive of the political realignment in the state.
Ace poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Thursday hit back at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar for suggesting that the former was covertly helping the Bharatiya Janata Party. In an obvious dig at Nitish Kumar’s previous alliance with BJP, Kishor shared old photographs of Janata Dal (United) leader with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter without posting any text. In all photographs, the Bihar chief minister can be seen greeting Modi with folded hands.
Now-deleted tweet by Prashant Kishor in an obvious jibe at Nitish Kumar’s previous alliance with BJP.
The tweet, however, was deleted within minutes.
On Wednesday, Nitish Kumar slammed Kishor, his former party colleague, who had said that JD(U)’s decision to switch alliance will have a regional and not national impact. Calling Kishor a “publicity expert”, Kumar suggested that Kishor may be working to help the BJP covertly.
“Working with other political parties is his business. Whatever he has got to do in Bihar, does not concern us. Does he know the ‘ABC’ of what all has been done since 2005?”
“Whatever statements he has been making has no meaning… may be he wants to stay with the BJP. May be, he wants to help them,” the Bihar CM said.
Kishor had earlier asserted that the boost to the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar after Nitish’s inclusion was a “state-specific” phenomenon and unlikely to have nationwide ramifications. He told reporters that the recent political upheaval in the state was symbolic of the “political instability” that has come to plague the state ever since the rise of the “new BJP” under Modi’s leadership.
“We can be certain of only one thing that whatever may be the case, Nitish Kumar will hold on to power as he has been doing for so many years,” chuckled Kishor.
“I can give it to you in writing that the next assembly polls in Bihar in 2025 will see another realignment. We do not know which party or leader will land on which side. But the current scenario will change,” he claimed.
Kishor was inducted into the JD(U) four years ago and was elevated to the post of national vice president within weeks, before he was expelled following sharp differences with the party leadership over the CAA-NPR-NRC issue. He recently launched a mass outreach programme in Bihar called ‘Jan Suraaj’, which is likely to culminate into a political party.
(With PTI inputs)
