Prashant Kishor trains a double-edged sword on Nitish

PATNA: Expelled JD(U) functionary and poll strategist Prashant Kishor trained a double-edged sword on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar as he questioned the development model of the latter and his 'allegiance' with those who support ideologies of Mahatma Gandhi’s killer Nathu Ram Godse, but at the same time called Nitish a “fatherly figure” and invited him to lead a new youth-based political forum in Bihar.
Kishor has coined his new ‘medium to long term’ campaign “Baat Bihar Ki” and claimed that it will be launched on February 20 and 10 lakh youth from all across the state are targeted to join this forum by March 30.
“I am neither with any political party nor working for any alliance for upcoming elections in Bihar. I am pursuing my own agenda of getting one crore youth in Bihar on a common platform. If Nitish Kumar also wants to lead it, then he is also welcome, who has more administrative experience in governance in Bihar. For that matter, if Sushil Kumar Modi (senior BJP functionary and Bihar deputy CM) also wants to lead, then also I have no objection,” Kishor said in a crowded press conference at the office of his political advocacy group I-PAC here.
Emphasizing on Nitish to join his campaign, Kishor said: “You (Nitish) come forward; there is no requirement of any political compulsion.You tell every person of Bihar, how the state will develop in 10 years. I am not ready to accept that people of Bihar will not support a person like Nitish Kumar if he puts forth a blueprint for development of the state over the next 10 years using his administrative acumen and experience.”
In an apparent bid to persuade Nitish to come out of the alliance with BJP, which Kishor has been quite often critical of, Kishor said he had more respect for the Bihar CM in 2014, when he was an arch rival of PM Narendra Modi, than the present day, when his position has been reduced to mere Pichchlagu (piggybacking) of BJP.
“I have more respect for Nitish Kumar of 2014, who had lost the elections, was leader of two MPs but he was still the pride of Bihar. But today when he has 16 MPs and some leader from Gujarat (an allusion to Amit Shah) tells him that you will remain the leader, then I don’t find it good. The CM of Bihar, the leader of 10 crore people of the state, their pride; he does not require approval from leader of any other party that he is their leader,” Kishor said.
He added: “I want to ask you all whether Nitish Kumar of 2014 or the present day Nitish, who wears white Kurta and sits on a side while campaigning in Delhi Assembly elections beside JP Nadda and Amit Shah like a mere sidekick.”
Deliberating further on the differences between him and Nitish, Kishor said: “The first and foremost issue of contention between us (him and Nitish) has been that we cannot move by taking Gandhi and Godse together. As far as I have known Nitish Ji and what he has been telling me, he has always asserted that we cannot leave thoughts and ideologies of Gandhi, JP and Lohia. However, there has been doubts in my mind that when you (Nitish) are putting up plaques and teaching Gandhi’s ideologies in schools in Bihar, then how can you stand with people supporting the ideologies of Godse. I don’t have any issue whatsoever if you (Nitish) want to remain with BJP, but both things can’t happen.”
Asked about his own ideology as he had started his journey as poll strategist while working with PM Modi in 2014 general elections and now he is accusing Nitish of siding with Godse supporters, Kishor said: “My ideology is egalitarian humanism rooted in Gandhian ideology and preaching of Gandhi.”
On being asked why he did not raise such issues when he was with JD(U), Kishor claimed that he raised such issues in a number of meetings with Nitish. “I and Nitish Ji had discussions on this issue and unfortunately I could not convince him, so I am out today,” he said.
Going back to claim by Nitish before Kishor was removed from JD(U) on January 29 that the latter was inducted in JD(U) on advice of senior BJP functionary and union minister Amit Shah, Kihsor said: “I always considered Nitish Ji as a father figure and he also look after me as a son but if he has to lie at the age of 70, then I forgo it as a gift to him.”
Kishor went on to take dig at the alliance between Nitish and BJP by saying that central government did not pay any heed to Nitish’s request for according central university status to Patna University.
“I understand that some compromises are made in politics but has Bihar got the expected benefit of this alliance. Did Bihar get special status? You all saw a small thing that Nitish Ji requested (PM Narendra Modi) with folded hands to make Patna university a central university but central government hasn’t given any replies on it yet,” he said.
Kishor claimed that Bihar was poorest state in the country in 2005 and it is still one of the poorest states. He also claimed that though Nitish- government has provided electricity to every household but the per capita power consumption in Bihar is still the lowest. “Even after the so called development during last 15 years, Bihar still stands at 22nd position in the country in terms of per capita income,” he said.
He added: “Since there is no one to say anything to Nitish Ji on governance here, thus he is following the agenda that whatever he has done, is enough. He has made it a ‘gold standard. But now a time has come that people in Bihar no longer want to know, what you have done in comparison with previous governments but what you will do in next 10 years.”
Kishor went on to say that Nitish can definitely say what his government has done in comparison with the regime of incarcerated RJD chief Lalu Prasad but he should also tell people where Bihar stands in comparison with other states, like Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka.
“I want to rope in such youths, who want to see Bihar in top 10 states in the country...It is in direction that ‘Baat Bihar Ki’ has been launched an enrolment of volunteers for the project is already underway and more than two lakh young people have signed up for it. This members, include 30% of the primary members of BJP. We intend to enroll up to 10 lakh youths in the next 100 days. This is an aspirational initiative aimed at transforming politicsin Bihar and not an attempt to build a new party,” Kishor said.