BJP is afraid of Nitish Kumar, says Prashant Kishor

Patna: Jan Suraj campaign chief Prashant Kishor claimed on Tuesday that the BJP is afraid of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The poll strategist claimed that Nitish Kumar's influence is so great that it has compelled the BJP to make organizational changes.

Speaking to the media in Patna, Kishor said, “The fear of Nitish Kumar on the BJP government is such that he first got Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary's turban removed. After that, he also forced the central leadership of the BJP to make organizational changes in Bihar as per his wish.”

Kishor was referring to the change in the BJP's state leadership when Samrat Chaudhary was removed as the party state president in Bihar and Dilip Jaiswal was appointed in his place.

Prashant Kishor criticized Nitish Kumar, stating that “Nitish Kumar asked for a ministry from the BJP, asked for the Chief Minister's chair for five years for himself. He got the changes he wanted in the organization of Bihar BJP.”

“Nitish Kumar wanted to get Samrat Chaudhary's turban removed, and he got it done. If you look at all these issues, you will realize that Nitish Kumar knows how to get things done in this manner, but he did not ask the Prime Minister to open the closed sugar mills in Bihar,” he said.

Kishor added, “Nitish Kumar should have said that we will support you only when factories are set up in every district of Bihar, but Nitish Kumar did not do so.”

Kishor also addressed questions regarding Bihar's special status, “Nitish Kumar has been with the BJP for 15 years. The BJP has been in power at the Centre for the last 10 years. This is not the first opportunity for Nitish Kumar and the BJP to improve Bihar. Today, the situation has reached a point where it has become difficult for the BJP government to run at the Centre without the support of the Bihar MPs. Hence, people are now talking about special status, but I have told 10,000 youths that Nitish Kumar is only concerned about himself.”