Prashant Kishor: Nitish's 20 years in power will be remembered for wasted opportunities

Patna, Aug 4 (PTI) Political strategist turned activist Prashant Kishor on Sunday charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his former mentor, with failure to secure tangible benefits for the state despite the BJP's dependence on him to retain power at the Centre.

Kishor alleged the JD(U) boss was fretting over his party's share in the Union council of ministers and using his clout with the BJP to settle scores with detractors at the state level, instead of leveraging his position to rehabilitate the state industrially.

"People are talking about special status for Bihar. I ask why Nitish Kumar could not press for the restoration of 20 sugar mills that have been moribund for years? He has been in power for nearly 20 years which shall be remembered for wasted opportunities," the IPAC founder told reporters here.

He was speaking after a function of the 'Jan Suraaj' campaign he had launched nearly two years ago, which is all set to become a political party on October 2.

A former JD(U) national vice president who was expelled from the party because of "indiscipline", Kishor claimed Kumar was in an enviable position after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which saw the BJP running short of majority and becoming dependent on allies, especially the JD(U) and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu's TDP.

"But all that Nitish Kumar cared for was how many berths in the ministry his party was getting. He even used his new-found clout to fix those in the BJP, whose turban was an eyesore," he said in an indirect reference to Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, who was recently removed from the post of state BJP president.

The former poll strategist maintained that 'Jan Suraaj' will contest the Bihar assembly polls, due next year, without allying with any other party.

"We will win. The people of Bihar are fed up with the vicious cycle they have been forced into by Nitish, BJP and the RJD, which is currently in the opposition but has had short-lived alliances with the JD(U). On October 2, 1 crore people will together float the new party. It will be for the first time in history that a party will be founded by so many people," claimed Kishor.

He also dismissed suggestions that the absence of a solid caste base could be a concern in a state like Bihar, pointing out that in by-polls to the state legislature a number of candidates, enjoying the support of Jan Suraaj, have won. PTI