Patna, Oct 2 (IANS): The JD-U on Wednesday criticised the Jan Suraaj Chief Prashant Kishor, saying that he has a dual stand on the liquor ban in the state and is out of touch with the public sentiment.
“Prashant Kishor has a dual stand, particularly regarding the liquor ban. He has objected to the ban yet frequently invokes the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, who supported such prohibitions. He should engage the women’s community in Patna to see if they support lifting the ban. He is out of touch with public sentiment. He should start a signature campaign from Patna Women’s College for the lifting of the liquor ban,” said JD-U Spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.
Kumar alleged that Prashant Kishor is a ‘political businessman’, claiming that his foray into politics is a result of his fading influence in political consultancy.
“Kishor criticises the migration of people from Bihar, and people like him educate their own children in metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai,” Kumar said.
He also highlighted Kishor's silence on incidents like the RG Kar Medical College in West Bengal, attributing it to his political ties with the Trinamool.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari also downplayed the significance of Prashant Kishor's entry into the political arena, claiming that Kishor's new party will have no impact.
“The formation of political parties is common and everyone has the right to contest elections. The RJD has strong leadership as well as its ideology and commitment to the people, which will keep the party relevant and unaffected by Kishor,” he said.
Tiwari alleged that Kishor is a “B-team” of the BJP, and his entry into the political space is a strategic move to divide votes, as the AIMIM was alleged to have done during the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections.
He highlighted Kishor’s previous association with the BJP, particularly during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when Kishor worked as a poll strategist for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign.
BJP Spokesperson Arvind Kumar Singh also dismissed any potential impact that Prashant Kishor's political party might have in Bihar.
“Kishor’s political motives are unclear and he might be in a secret arrangement with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to cut into the BJP’s vote share,” Singh said.
He mockingly referred to Kishor as an ‘event manager’ and referred to his full name as ‘Prashant Kishor Pandey’, emphasising regional or caste-based identity politics.
Reacting to the RJD’s claim that Prashant Kishor is a ‘B-team’ of the BJP, Singh turned the tables, accusing the RJD of potentially hiring Kishor to act as an ‘agent’ against the BJP.
“Prashant Kishor has no political experience in contesting election. Has he contested any Gram Panchayat election or engaged in public welfare work in the past? Kishor has only one achievement to ‘fool’ the people. The people of Bihar are politically aware and would not allow to take birth another Arvind Kejriwal here,” Singh said.
Furthermore, Singh questioned Kishor's ambitious claim that one crore people would attend his party's foundation event, emphasising that the venue, Veterinary College Ground Patna, lacks the capacity to hold such a large crowd.