Nitish Kumar has not closed doors for talks with BJP, says Prashant Kishor

The poll strategist slams Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for keeping JD(U) leader Harivansh on the post of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha even after his party parted ways with the NDA

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor greets a woman during his the ‘Jan Suraj Padayatra’ in Vaishali. File | Photo Credit: ANI

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor on July 28 claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has not closed the doors for talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While addressing a public meeting in Samastipur, Mr. Kishor said that if Mr. Kumar has left the NDA, why Janata Dal (United) leader Harivansh was still occupying the post of Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha.

He emphasised that keeping Mr. Harivansh on the post clearly indicates that Mr. Kumar has not yet closed the doors for talks with the BJP.

“It is necessary for any Bill to pass in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The BJP does not have a majority in Rajya Sabha and to pass a Bill, one has to struggle a lot. Harivansh ji, who is an MP of Nitish Kumar’s party, is the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. If Nitish ji has left the NDA, then why is he not leaving the post? His party should either leave the post or the person should be removed from it. Nitish ji has kept him to pass the Bills of the BJP and is cheating the people of Bihar,” Mr. Kishor alleged.

Mr. Kishor, who founded Jan Suraj and is currently undertaking a ‘padyatra’ across the State, pointed out that people voted for Mr. Kumar in 2015 but he ran away after cheating people in 2017.

He slammed Mr. Kumar for terming him the B team of the BJP, and said that he does not need anybody’s certificate.

“He is calling me the B team of the BJP, but he should better introspect on which team he himself belongs to. I don’t want to give him any certificate and he can form the government with anyone. I have defeated the BJP in West Bengal but he is struggling to defeat them. People should decide with whom they want to be with – the one who has already defeated the BJP or the one who is struggling to defeat them. Many are raising questions about how I will win the election. Even my critics know very well that I may not know everything, but I know how to contest elections,” Mr. Kishor said.

He urged the people of Bihar, who have seen governance in the State for 30 years, to support him and assured change in the State if they trust him for three years. Two days back, Mr. Kishor had announced that by October he will take a final call on converting Jan Suraj into a political party to contest elections.