Patna: Jan Suraaj marketing campaign chief and former ballot strategist Prashant Kishor took a dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Friday, saying the latter “can’t dare” to contest elections.
He was referring to renewed hypothesis that Nitish may contest the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh. On Wednesday, JD(U) minister Shrawan Kumar — often called an in depth aide of Nitish in his residence district Nalanda — had mentioned there was a requirement from JD(U) staff in Phulpur that Nitish ought to contest from there in 2024.
“In response to my understanding of elections, Nitish Kumar can’t dare to contest elections,” Kishor mentioned at a press meet in Samastipur.
“When did he contest elections the final time? I’m keen to present it in writing that Nitish Kumar is not going to contest any elections. There are talks about Phulpur. He doesn’t have the braveness to contest from Bihar,” he added.
Nitish final contested a Lok Sabha election in 2004, and hasn’t contested an meeting election since 1985. He has been a member of the Bihar legislative council as a substitute, saying he doesn’t need to concentrate on one constituency alone.
Kishor was briefly a member of Nitish’s JD(U) however was expelled in 2020 after he criticised the latter publicly for his assist to the Citizenship Modification Act.
As one of many prime movers behind the Opposition alliance on the nationwide degree, Nitish’s entry in Uttar Pradesh is anticipated to improve the coalition in jap UP, the place the Kurmis — the neighborhood to which Nitish belongs — represent a major chunk of votes.
The neighborhood constitutes an estimated 6 p.c of UP’s inhabitants.
Talking to ThePrint, Bihar minister Bijendra Yadav of the JD (U) mentioned, “How are you going to cease celebration staff from making a requirement?”
Nonetheless, even inside the JD(U), Shrawan Kumar’s declaration has prompted some disbelief.
“It’s like throwing a stone within the water and finding out the ripples,” mentioned a senior JD(U) chief, insisting that Shrawan Kumar couldn’t have made the assertion with out Nitish’s consent.
Additionally Learn: ‘Requested Nitish Kumar to merge JD(U) with Congress? He’s previous and delusional’: Prashant Kishor
‘Nitish ought to step out of residence turf’
Three years in the past, Nitish Kumar — in his chamber within the Bihar meeting — had instructed just a few JD(U) leaders that the Rajya Sabha was the one Home he had not been a member of.
The subsequent day, there was a clamour amongst JD(U) leaders who mentioned Nitish wanted to go to Delhi and be part of nationwide politics. The demand died down a month later when Nitish dubbed it a “hearsay”.
Final 12 months, when Nitish left the NDA to affix palms with the RJD, the JD(U) workplace resounded with the slogan “Desh Ka PM Kaisa Ho, Nitish Kumar Jaisa Ho (India ought to have a PM like Nitish Kumar)”.
Even RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who as soon as taunted the claims of JD(U) leaders that Nitish was “PM Materials”, supported the view.
After the Bengaluru Opposition meet, Nitish mentioned he was not the PM candidate and his solely quest was to defeat the BJP within the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Within the final UP meeting election, the JD(U) failed to avoid wasting its deposits in all however one of many 57 seats it contested.
“The difficulty is that the Kurmis outdoors Bihar don’t take into account him their chief,” mentioned the senior JD(U) chief quoted above.
“In UP, it’s the Apna Dal that represents the caste, whereas in Jharkhand, the Kurmis are extra inclined in the direction of the All Jharkhand College students Union,” the chief added, stressing that Nitish should break his picture of being a Bihar chief alone if he desires to play a task in nationwide politics.
Narendra Modi, the chief mentioned, “confirmed his stature by contesting from each Gujarat and UP”.
“Rahul Gandhi did the identical, though he misplaced in Amethi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal contested towards Modi in Varanasi, figuring out he would lose. However, within the course of, he made it clear that he was serious about nationwide politics, the chief mentioned.
“Nitish should additionally present the need to contest outdoors his residence turf — regardless of the truth that he might lose,” the chief added, saying that even the Kurmis from different states will align with him after he obtains a nationwide tag.
Nitish Kumar, who has served as a Lok Sabha member six occasions starting 1989, contested from two seats in 2004 — Nalanda and Barh (a seat that has ceased to exist after delimitation).
He gained from Nalanda however misplaced from Barh.
“Since 2004, he has not contested a Lok Sabha election. Why is he fleeing his residence turf Nalanda?” mentioned BJP state chief Samrat Choudhary of the Phulpur speak.
“With what face can he tackle the joint may of Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath ?” he added.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
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