Poll strategist and Jan Suraj convener Prashant Kishor on Thursday took a swipe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s efforts to stitch together an alliance of Opposition parties. A day ahead of the meeting of Opposition parties in Patna, Kishor scoffed at the idea and equated Nitish Kumar’s situation to ‘a figure among ciphers’.
The remarks by Kishor, once a key aide of Nitish, come just a day before Nitish hosts a meeting of as many as 20 Opposition leaders on Friday to try and discuss issues that these parties can unite on. The meeting in Patna comes after Nitish led a mammoth effort to bring Opposition parties together on one platform in a display of unity for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Kishor, however, said that the Bihar CM was attempting to assume the role that former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu did in 2018. The only difference, he said, was that while Naidu was running a majority government in AP, Nitish runs a “lame” government with 42 MLAs.
“In those days, Chandrababu Naidu toured the whole country to bring the Opposition together. The result was that his party was reduced to three MPs and 23 MLAs and he was ousted from power. Nitish should worry about Bihar. His own future is uncertain,” Kishor said.
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Kishor was referring to the unsuccessful attempts made by TDP president Chandrababu Naidu to bring together Opposition parties on one platform to counter the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Kishor also targetted the Rashtriya Janata Dal of Lalu Yadav and wondered how a party with no MPs in Parliament could decide the future Prime Minister of the country. “A party which has no MPs in Parliament is deciding the Prime Minister of the country and a party whose own future is hazy is bringing other parties together,” Kishor said, mocking Bihar’s ruling alliance partners, RJD and the JD(U).
Taking potshots at Nitish over his recent visit to West Bengal where he met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Kishor wondered if the Trinamool Congress chief is willing to work with the Congress.
“Are Nitish and Lalu willing to cede even one seat to the TMC in Bihar? Does Nitish know Mamata better than me? Who cares about Nitish in Bengal?” asked Kishor, who designed the entire campaign for Mamata Banerjee’s TMC in the last Assembly elections held in the state.
Kishor said that he was certain that Nitish will meet the same fate as Naidu’s. “Nitish will meet the same fate as Naidu’s. Aaj Nitish Kumar ka haal andhon mein kana raja jaisa hai. (Today, Nitish Kumar’s situation is like a figure among ciphers),” Kishor added.