LokSabha 2019: Election season throws new equations up in air!

LokSabha 2019: Election season throws new equations up in air!

It is interesting to see how political equations among leaders suddenly change just as the polling season starts in the country’s Hindi heartland. 

Once Nitish Kumar’s close confidant, highly acclaimed election strategist Prashant Kishor now suddenly faces heat in his party JD(U) following his ‘fresh mandate’ remark.

JD(U) General Secretary RCP Singh hit back at the party Vice-President Prashant Kishor for his statement contending that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should have sought fresh mandate after walking out of the grand alliance in 2017. It is his personal view, Singh remarked before media persons here while reacting to Kishor`s statement made during an interview to a web channel.

In his statement, Kishor had said that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should have sought a fresh mandate after quitting grand alliance. 
 
Without naming Kishor, Singh said that Kishor was not in JD(U) when the party had left the grand alliance and so he may not have been aware of the party`s activities at that point of time. It could be the reason why he had made such a statement, he added.

Singh said the party was unanimous in its decision on quitting the grand alliance as the decision was ratified by members of the party`s national executive and state council. 
 
Singh was considered as a number 2 in JD(U) till the party president and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had appointed Prashant Kishor as party vice-president on October 16 last year. Some political analysts even called him JD(U)`s heir apparent after his appointment.

Kishor had waded into controversy earlier too, when he reportedly sought to project himself as a kingmaker at a function organised by his party’s student wing in Muzaffarpur recently.

Kishor, while exhorting youths to join politics in large numbers, had said, “If I can help in making PM and CM, I can also help Bihar’s youth become MP, MLA or Mukhyia. We are a country of 48 crore youth voters. In 1952, 40 per cent of the parliamentarians were of less than 40 years of age. At present, there are only 7.3 per cent parliamentarians who fall in this bracket,” he had remarked.

JD(U) MLC and state party spokesperson Neeraj Kumar accused Kishor of working against the policy by contending that CM Nitish  should have sought fresh mandate after walking out of NDA. “Kishor is a novice in politics”, he remarked.

JD(U) General Secretary Shyam Rajak was also not less harsh in his criticism against Kishor as he said nobody should remain in any confusion as all emerge victorious in elections on their respective strength.  

Incidentally, the situation is getting tougher for the election strategist when the Lok Sabha poll is round the corner. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has maintained a stoic silence over the issue so far. Prashant Kishor had worked for BJP during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and also for Nitish Kumar during 2015 Bihar assembly election when the latter was in the grand alliance.

Kishor was not also even seen in NDA`s ‘Sankalp Rally’ organised at Patna`s historic Gandhi Maidan on March 3.

Kishor had also drawn attention when he apologised for none of Bihar ministers or leaders being present when martyred CRPF Inspector Pintu Singh was being cremated in Begusarai district. 

“We are sorry for the error of judgement on part of those of us who should have been there with you in this hour of grief,” he had tweeted. When CM Nitish Kumar visited the native Dhyanchakki village of martyred CRPF Inspector to pay his tribute after four days, Kishor tweeted, “...and the follow-up.”

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