Janata Dal (United) (JDU) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh, alias Lalan Singh, on Saturday, 17 September, alleged that Prashant Kishor was "working for" the BJP, as part of his "conspiracies" to make inroads into Bihar.
Denying Kishor's claim that he turned down an "offer" made by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the JDU chief said that Kishor was "not a political worker but a businessman" who relied on "marketing" tactics.
Lalan's remarks come shortly after a meeting took place between Kumar and Kishor, after which Kishor claimed to have engaged in a conversation with Kumar about how prohibition in Bihar was a complete failure and required a review.
'Why Will Anybody Give Him Any Offer? Who is He?' : Lalan on Prashant Kishor
Lalan, in a reference to former JDU national president RCP Singh, said, "We know Prashant Kishor has been working for the BJP for some time. One agent of the BJP was recently caught during magistrate checking."
"The BJP is relying on conspiracies in Bihar. First it used RCP Singh and now it is using Prashant Kishor. But we are vigilant. We will not allow these designs to succeed," Lalan added.
Kishor had claimed to have refused a "specified" offer from Kumar, however, Lalan said that it was Prashant Kishor who wanted to meet the Bihar CM.
"He spoke to the CM who asked him to first have a word with the party president. So he came to meet me in New Delhi," Singh said.
"I told him that his return to the party could be considered if he agreed to abide by party discipline. Thereafter he secured an appointment with the CM who agreed to meet him and gave an appointment. But as part of his marketing strategy, he told the media that he had been called to the CM's residence but he would not go," Lalan further claimed.
After Rajya Sabha MP Pavan Varma met Nitish Kumar, he also had a word with Kishor, Lalan said.
"Kishor again expressed the wish to meet the CM and they met. But why will anybody give him any offer? Who is he?" Lalan said.
Kishor’s Past Associations
Prashant Kishor came into the limelight in 2014, when his organisation Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) handled the successful political campaign for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A year later, Nitish Kumar hired Kishor when assembly polls were nearing Bihar. Kumar's alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav and Congress led to the defeat of the BJP.
Kishor was then appointed as an advisor to the Bihar CM, although he continued to work for other politicians.
In 2018, while Kumar was in the position of JDU national president, he inducted Kishor into the party and awarded him the post of national vice president. However, Kishor was expelled from the party in 2020 for openly speaking against CAA-NPR-NRC, among other issues, as JDU was then in an alliance with NDA.
Later, Kishor also managed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's successful campaign in the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls.
Kishor also promised to revamp the Congress if he was taken on as a full-time member, however, the negotiations proved to be unsuccessful. Kishor returned to Bihar in early 2022 to launch his "Jana Suraj" campaign, which he claims will develop into a "better political alternative" for Bihar.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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