Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar on Tuesday, 16 October, appointed Prashant Kishor as the party's vice president, effectively making him the second most powerful person in the party.
Kishor, who has worked for a number of parties as a poll strategist, joined the ruling party in Bihar a month ago on 16 September. He is seen to be close to Kumar, the state's chief minister.
Party spokesperson KC Tyagi said Kishor's appointment will help it reach out to social segments out of its traditional support base.
Kishor took his oath administered by party president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna in October.
Tweeting ahead of the ceremony, Kishor had said,
Referring to Kishor’s joining, JD(U) leader, RCP Singh told ANI: “If someone is a poll strategist, he understands polls very well. He is not new. We are happy that he joined us. There is a difference between other parties and us. If you want to work in JD(U), then sky is the limit. He will strengthen our working.”
According to several media reports, Kishor has a few tasks up his sleeve, once he makes his foray into politics with the JD(U).
Peacemaker Between JD(U) and BJP?
The Print reports that one of the first tasks he will most likely handle will be to broker peace between the JD(U) and the BJP. Kishor was both Kumar and Modi’s campaign manager in the 2015 Bihar assembly election and the 2014 Lok Sabha election respectively, helping both parties clinch victories.
The article also notes that should the JD(U) decide to jump on to the RJD bandwagon, Kishor’s amicable relations with Lalu Yadav and family will be beneficial.
A RJD-JD(U) Alliance on the Cards?
According to NDTV, RJD and JD(U) coming together is more likely. However, owing to acting chief Tejaswi Yadav’s reservations against the alliance, a concrete “plan has not materialised” yet.
Apart from helping both BJP and JD(U), Kishor also assisted Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh secure a victory against the AAP, by shaping his election campaign as well. However, his association with the Congress did not last long, and the party lost the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand elections, despite him overseeing the campaign.
While there were speculations over Kishor’s foray into politics, he recently ruled out the Congress as an option when at an event in Hyderabad he reportedly said: “Rahul (Gandhi) and I are not on the same page. He has his own ideas.”
(With inputs from PTI)
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