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Ahead of Bihar elections, political strategist and expelled JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor on Tuesday, 18 February, said he wants to engage with the youth in the state and identify future political leaders among them.
After a stinging attack on the JD(U) government in the state, Kishor revealed his next political plan and said he will launch ‘Baat Bihar Ki’ where he will travel to different panchayats in Bihar and identify young political leaders who will ensure “good governance” in the state.
Bihar Assembly elections is slated to be held later this year.
‘Gandhi and Godse Cannot Go Hand-in-Hand’: Kishor Slams Nitish Kumar
Addressing a press conference, Kishor said he has had multiple differences with Bihar CM and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar but he “respects him a lot”. He said, “It is debatable whether Nitish Kumar is a good leader but it is for certain that he couldn’t make good MLAs in the last 5 years.”
He added, “Ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and that of his killer, Nathuram Godse, cannot go hand-in-hand.”
Kishor, along with senior JD-U leader, was expelled on 29 January, for questioning the party’s stand over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
He said there have been many discussions between him and Nitish Kumar about the party's ideology. "Nitishji always told us that the party can never leave the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. But now the party is with those who are soft on Gandhi's killer Nathuram Godse. For me Gandhiji and Godse cannot go hand-in-hand," he said.
He said that the ideological differences with Nitish Kumar first emerged during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "We had a standoff on two points. It's not new, it started during Lok Sabha elections," Kishor said.
Training a gun on the chief minister, Kishor said: "You shall have to tell us who you choose."
Kishor lamented that the pace of development is not good in Bihar despite his party ruling the state for last 15 years. "Take any two indicators of Bihar and compare it from 2005. Even today it is more or less same since 2005, condition has not changed in Bihar," he said.
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