'Lackeys Are Unhappy With Me': Prashant Kishor's Fresh Jibe At JDU, Says He Won't Contest Polls

When questioned repeatedly if he intended to run for office himself, the I-PAC founder raged, "Why would I contest polls? I have no such aspirations."

Prashant Kishor. (File Photo)

Prashant Kishor, a former political strategist who is now an activist, ruled out the prospect of running for office himself but reaffirmed his commitment to creating a "better alternative" for his native Bihar, news agency PTI reported.

Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, he further blasted JD(U) leaders for calling him a "dhandhebaaz" (dealer) with limited political knowledge and challenged them to find out "why he had me put up at his house for two years" from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

When questioned repeatedly if he intended to run for office himself, the I-PAC founder raged, "Why would I contest polls? I have no such aspirations."

He was addressing on the eve of the West Champaran district convention, which is set to take place on Sunday and ask for comments on whether the "Jan Suraaj" campaign should become a political party.

Similar people's polls will be held in all of the state's districts, according to Kishor, who is now on a 3,500 kilometre "padayatra" across the state, and the results will be used to determine the next course of action.

Kisor asserted that if Kumar joins his "political enterprise," he will receive compliments from people once more.

"Since I have charted an independent course for myself, he and his lackeys are unhappy with me," he was quoted by PTI in its report.

"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.

Kishor responded to a question by saying he did not regret working 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.

Mocking the grand alliance government's promise of 10 lakh jobs a year, Kishor said, "I have said it many times and I say it again -- if they fulfil the promise I will give up my campaign," PTI reported. 

(With Inputs From PTI)