Prashant Kishor, a former political strategist who is now an activist, barred himself from running for election while reiterating his commitment to create a “better alternative” for his home state Bihar.
In his remarks to a press conference on Saturday, he further slammed JD(U) leaders for calling him a “dhandhebaaz” (trader) with little political knowledge and tasked them with finding out “why he had me put up at his property for two years.”
“Why would I contest polls? I have no such aspirations “The I-PAC founder snarled when he was asked repeatedly if he intended to stand for election himself.
He was addressing on the eve of the district convention for West Champaran, which was set for Sunday and at which the public’s views on the formation of the “Jan Suraaj” campaign as a political party will be sought.
Kishor, who is on a 3,500-km-long “padayatra” of the state, said similar people’s polls will be held in all districts of the state based on which the next course of action will be decided.
Kisor claimed Kumar will once again shower encomiums on him if he joins his “political enterprise”.
“Since I have charted an independent course for myself, he and his lackeys are unhappy with me,” he said.
“JD(U) leaders like to berate me. They should ask Nitish Kumar what was I doing at his residence for two years if I had no political understanding,” he added.
Replying to a query, Kishor said he did not repent for having worked with Kumar in the past.
“There is a world of difference between what he (Kumar) was 10 years ago and what he is now. He had given up his chair in 2014 owning moral responsibility for his party’s drubbing in Lok Sabha polls. Now, he is willing to make any type of compromise to stay in power,” Kishor said.
Kishor said, “I have said it many times and I say it again — if they fulfil the promise I will give up my campaign,” while mocking the grand alliance government’s promise of 10 lakh jobs a year.