New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) on Monday accused its former national vice president Prashant Kishor of working "on behalf of the BJP" and wondered about the source of funding for his much publicised 'Jan Suraaj' campaign, as reported by news agency PTI.
Nitish Kumar’s comment comes a day after state BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand called Kishor a "political middleman" who had a "tacit understanding" with Nitish Kumar. JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan also slammed Kishor's statewide "pada yatra" and fulminated against his refrain that Bihar remains a laggard despite over a decade of Kumar's claim of good governance.
"The people of Bihar know how much progress there has been under Nitish Kumar's rule. We do not need a certificate from Prashant Kishor. Though like any other citizen he is free to take out a march or a demonstration," the JD(U) chief told reporters, as reported by PTI. "Kishor may give whatever name he chooses to his campaign but it does appear that he is working on behalf of the BJP. The type of publicity he is paying for raises the suspicion", he further said.
"How many times do we see even well-established political parties putting out full-page ads? He did that for his pada yatra yesterday. Why I-T (income tax) department, CBI or ED are not taking note? The only possible explanation is that he is enjoying the backing of those ruling the Centre," PTI quoted Lalan as saying.
However, Prashant Kishor claims that he has given up professional political consultancy and has devoted himself fully to transforming his home state through mass mobilisation. His move is seen with skepticism by the state's hard-nosed politicians who view the IPAC founder as a mercenary.
After handling Narendra Modi's successful campaign in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Prashant Kishor also helped the Grand Alliance of JD(U), Lalu Prasad's RJD and Congress pull off a stunning victory in Bihar assembly polls in 2015.
(With PTI Inputs)