Hitting back at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, election strategist Prashant Kishor challenged his former mentor to deliver on his promise of providing 10 lakh jobs to the youth of the state.

“After being the Chief Minister for 17 years, now he (Nitish Kumar) has realised that 10 lakh jobs should be given. If he can provide jobs today, then why he didn’t do it earlier, what was he waiting for?” Kishor asked.

“He is a big leader he knows everything from ‘A-Z’ while others don’t know ABC…I challenge him to deliver on his promise of giving 10 lakh jobs to youths. Let 12 months pass, then we will ask who knows ‘ABC’ and who knows ‘XYZ’,” Kishor said.

Earlier today, Kumar slammed Kishor and asked if he knows ABC of what has been done and how much work has been done in Bihar since 2005.

Kishor joined Kumar’s JD(U) in 2018 and was appointed its national vice president within a month. However, he was expelled from the party less than two years later.

On being asked about Kumar’s meetings with leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and Sharad Pawar in Delhi for 2024 general election, the poll strategist said that the Bihar CM’s attempt to unite the Opposition parties will not bring a dramatic change pertaining to the Lok Sabha polls.

“What’s new in it, how can we consider that something new is being done by the Opposition? I don’t think it will bring a dramatic change pertaining to 2024 elections,” he said.

Asked about the talks of Kumar emerging as the Opposition’s prime ministerial candidate, Kishor said that one’s stature does not rise on a national level by meeting people in Delhi.

“Bihar’s political developments are specific to state only. I don’t think it will affect national politics at all. If one is meeting people in Delhi, that doesn’t mean one’s stature is rising on a national level. Even Mamata Banerjee and K Chandrasekhar Rao met many people in Delhi,” he said.

Earlier today, the Bihar CM slammed poll strategist Prashant Kishor over his remarks on the power shuffle in the state last month and called him a ‘publicity expert.’

Responding to a question about Kishor at a press conference in Delhi, Kumar without taking any name said “his statements have no meaning” and that he might be “working for the BJP covertly”.

“Let him do what he wants to do in Bihar. His statements have no meaning. Does he know ABC of what has been done in the state (Bihar) since 2005?” asked Kumar.

“These people know how to take publicity, make statements. They are experts in this and keep stating it. If someone is talking like this, then try to understand, there must be something in his mind. It could be to stay with BJP and help BJP in a covert way,” he added.

The latest war of words between Kumar and Kishor erupted after the poll strategist took a swipe at Bihar Chief Minister for snapping ties with the BJP and joining hand with Tejashwi Yadav’s RJD and the Congress to form a new coalition government in the state.