JD(U) UNEASY WITH KISHOR’S EXIT FROM PARTY
There is a certain unease in the NDA camp in Bihar after Prashant Kishor’s exit. The political strategist, who was expelled from the JD(U) by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar last month, was asked to assess strategic planning data for the state’s ruling alliance for the coming Assembly polls.
The data, it was learnt, also included constituency-wise assessments of “positive and negative” feedback of the sitting MLAs — of both the JD(U) and the BJP — and local issues that could hurt the ruling alliance’s prospects in the Assembly polls that are expected by the end of the year.
A section within the JD(U), sources said, feels that with Mr Kishor’s ouster from the party, the data could be “misused” in the Assembly polls.
After being expelled from the JD(U), Mr Kishor had said he will continue to be politically involved in his home state of Bihar and has launched a campaign “Bihar Ki Baat”, an effort to enrol 10 lakh million to work for the state’s development.
However, a majority within the JD(U) is confident that the Nitish Kumar-led NDA in the state will retain power because of the development plank of the chief minister, who has a “clean image” and a “decisive leadership”. Also, the Opposition camp in the state seems divided over the leadership issue as not everyone in the “grand alliance” of Opposition parties are in favour of the RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav as the face of the alliance.
The NDA has said it will fight the polls under Mr Kumar’s leadership.