Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor stated on Wednesday that JD(U) president Nitish Kumar will contest the forthcoming assembly elections in Bihar alongside the BJP but may change sides later, aiming for another term as chief minister.
The founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, speaking at a press conference in West Champaran district, contended that the 74-year-old leader has become too unpopular to secure a fifth consecutive term in office “regardless of the alliance he joins.”
“Anyone can be the chief minister in November following the assembly elections, with the exception of Nitish Kumar. You can receive it from me in written form. I will abandon my political campaign if I am shown to be incorrect,” Kishor stated.
Regarding rumors that Nitish might leave the NDA before the assembly elections, due to the BJP’s noticeable hesitation to name him as the chief ministerial candidate, the ex-election strategist stated, “He will run in partnership with the BJP. He has consistently done that, except for the 2015 elections, when I managed his campaign.”
Kishor further asserted that the BJP was hesitant to announce Kumar as the NDA’s chief ministerial nominee due to his waning popularity.
ALSO READ: Akshay-Katrina starrer ‘Namastey London’ to re-release on this day!
“I challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to announce that Nitish Kumar will serve as chief minister for an entire five-year term following the elections (if the NDA wins). If they proceed in that manner, securing seats will be challenging for the BJP,” stated Kishor.
The ex-JD(U) national vice president, who was dismissed from the party in 2020 after a disagreement with Nitish Kumar, also asserted that the ruling party was “going to perform very poorly” (in the elections).
Mr. Kishor criticized the state’s widely praised prohibition policy, stating that the liquor ban in Bihar exemplifies the BJP’s duplicity once again.
