Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar fuelled speculation after a meeting with former party leader and political strategist Prashant Kishor. The development comes amid speculation of strained ties with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and claims that Kumar is looking for issues to separate from the BJP.
Both the Bihar Chief Minister and his former Janata Dal (United) second-in-command have however insisted that no special significance should be attached to the interaction. “Is my relationship with Prashant Kishor only from today? There is no special meaning behind the meeting,” Kumar told news agency ANI in Delhi today.
The interaction – the first since the JD(U) expelled its vice president in 2020 – reportedly saw the two closeted together for a couple of hours at the CM’s official residence in Delhi. The
Earlier this week, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan had lashed out at Kumar, contending that the state would soon head for midterm elections. The multi-term Chief Minister, he had alleged, was “looking for issues” in order to separate from the BJP. “Nitish Kumar can go anywhere to retain the chief minister’s post. If he negotiates with other parties, he will replicate his move of 2017,” he had predicted.
In January 2020, Kishor and party general secretary Pavan Varma had been expelled from the JD(U), soon after their vocal criticism of Kumar over his support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Population Register (NPR). At the time, a statement issued by JD(U) chief general secretary K C Tyagi had said that the duo were “acting against party’s decisions as well as its functioning” which amounted to breach of discipline. They had also also accused Kishor of using “insulting words” against the Bihar chief minister.
Kumar had also hit out at Kishor, claiming that he had inducted the latter into the party at the prodding of Union Home Minister and former BJP president Amit Shah. This in turn had prompted a furious rejoinder as the poll strategist accused Kumar of lying.
