Poll guru Prashant Kishor is now Nitish’s deputy in JD-U

Jitendra K Shrivastava
Tribune News Service
Patna, October 16

A month after joining the Janata Dal (United), poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor was on Tuesday elevated to the post of vice-president, making him next only to party chief Nitish Kumar in hierarchy.

“I heartily congratulate JD-U and party leadership giving this responsibility and honour. I am committed to ideology of development with justice of NitishJi (sic) and Bihar,” Kishor tweeted.

Former UNO health expert, Kishor, who had delivered his best for different parties as a strategist in the past, would strategically steer Bihar CM Nitish Kumar-led JD-U for its success in “Mission-2019”. Having worked for the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kishor felt “he wasn’t given his due”. He, however, worked for the grand alliance (JD-U, RJD and Congress) in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls against the BJP, which faced a humiliating defeat. Kishor had successfully worked for the Congress in Punjab.

JD-U principal general secretary KC Tyagi confirmed Kishor’s elevation. “Kishor has already established his efficiency in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls. He hails from Bihar and is the master of connecting social engineering with development, so he will deliver his best in party’s interest in next elections too,” said JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.

RJD leader Bhai Birendra said: “If non-political persons land at JD-U’s second-highest position, what will political workers do?”

A senior Congress leader said: “Kishor has worked for a number of parties and has been associated with several senior leaders. Who will say that he would honestly work only for JD-U? Only time will tell his strategies.”

Of the 40 constituencies, Kishor is expected to demand at least 20 even though the saffron party had bagged 22 seats in the last election.