Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor has launched a fierce critique of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleging that the state government is effectively under the control of "four retired bureaucrats".
Kishor made these remarks during a press conference on Sunday, just three days before he is set to announce the formation of his own political party.
Kishor, who has been a prominent figure in Bihar’s political landscape, accused the longest-serving Chief Minister of the state of outsourcing governance to a handful of "retired bureaucrats."
He asserted that neither Kumar nor these bureaucrats understand the pressing issues faced by the citizens of Bihar.
"The Nitish Kumar government is being run by four retired bureaucrats. The CM is in the grip of these babus. Kumar has changed now. He has lost his morality and is only interested in securing the chief minister's chair," Kishor charged.
As the leader of the ‘Jan Suraj’ initiative, Kishor vowed to remove Kumar from power in the upcoming 2025 Bihar assembly elections, emphasising that the polls would revolve around the themes of 'three S': ‘sarab’ (liquor), ‘survey’ (land), and ‘smart meter’.
He expressed confidence that these issues would serve as the "final nail in the coffin for the current regime."
Kishor stated that if he succeeds in forming a government post-elections, he would abolish the existing liquor ban within one hour. He described the current prohibition law in Bihar as "fake," noting that the state incurs a "loss of nearly Rs 20,000 crore every year" while the liquor mafia continues to profit from illegal trade.
"The existing prohibition law in the state is fake," he said.
Kishor remarked that he was not concerned about losing votes from women regarding the liquor issue.
"Whether I get votes of women or not, I will continue speaking against the liquor ban since it is not in the interest of Bihar," he asserted.
Kishor accused Kumar of clinging to power as if he had applied adhesive to his chair, arguing that both the BJP and the Congress share culpability for the deteriorating situation in Bihar.
"If RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar are responsible for the destruction of Bihar, the Congress and the BJP are to be equally blamed for the same," Kishor said.
He noted that both parties have been supporting Lalu and Nitish for years.
He likened Kumar's relationship with the Chief Minister's office to an unbreakable bond, suggesting that he has used "Fevicol" to keep himself attached to the position.
"It seems that the link between Nitish Kumar and the chair of the CM is unbreakable - be it any alliance," Kishor said.
Kishor also recounted that he had advised Kumar against accepting the Chief Minister's role after his party won only 42 seats in the last assembly polls. "But Nitish Kumar accepted the offer and became the CM. This is the bond he has with the chair of CM," he said.
Criticising both the RJD and Kumar's JD(U), Kishor claimed that both parties have "harmed the interests" of Bihar over the past three decades.
"The people of Bihar have witnessed both of them for 30 years. Now, I am confident that we will win in Bihar in the next year's assembly polls. We will have a comprehensive victory," he added.
Kishor declared that any outcome that results in merely achieving a majority would be viewed as a defeat for him and his party. "If our party touches a mere majority figure in the 243-member assembly or gets 10-15 seats more than the majority, it will be a defeat for us. I will accept my defeat. We want a comprehensive victory," he emphasised.
Addressing the BJP's political standing in the state, Kishor claimed that the party is currently facing a "humiliating defeat" due to a leadership crisis.
"People don't know who is the present state BJP chief. Not even ten per cent of citizens can recognise him by face," he remarked.
Follow us
