Days after election strategist Prashant Kishor suggested that Nitish Kumar may realign with the BJP and that he was still in touch with the NDA, the Bihar Chief Minister on Friday said that Kishor is “young” and “speaks for his own publicity.” When asked by reporters about Kishor’s reaction, the JD(U) chief said, “Why do you take Prashant ji’s name? Request you to not ask me anything about him in the future.”
“He speaks for his own publicity and can speak whatever he wants, we don’t care. He’s young. There was a time when I respected him…those whom I respected had disrespected me,” Kumar further said.
Kishor, who is on a padyatra in the state, had earlier said that Kumar has kept his communication open with BJP and may join NDA once again if the situation arises, with JD(U) MP and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh acting as the bridge.
“People who are thinking that Nitish Kumar is actively building a national alliance against the BJP will be surprised to know that he has kept a line open with the BJP. He is in touch with the BJP through his party MP and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh ji,” said Kishor.
Kumar had walked out of the NDA recently and joined hands with the RJD and Congress once again. Since then, Kumar has been trying to stitch together an anti-BJP alliance at the Centre in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Kishor’s stay with the JD(U) was short-lived after he was expelled from the party in 2020 over criticising Kumar for backing the Narendra Modi government on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Kishor has been marching on foot since October 2 from the Gandhi Ashram in West Champaran as he has embarked upon a 3,500-km journey across Bihar for the next year.