Prashant Kishor's new outfit Jan Suraaj will contest the Bihar assembly election 2025
Jan Suraaj chief Prashant Kishor has punched a hole in Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav's claim that Bihar has been lagging in key development indicators despite having a "double-engine" government.
Mr Yadav had yesterday alleged the BJP is only power-hungry and neglects the public's concerns.
"Bihar is number one in unemployment, poverty, inflation and in corruption... Bihar is also number one in crime... Despite having a government at the centre and state, nothing has been corrected... BJP people are greedy for power only. They have nothing to do with the public," said Mr Yadav, the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly.
He called Chief Minister Nitish Kumar a "tired chief minister". The statement came after Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Singh alleged Mr Yadav kept silent when Hindus in Bangladesh were attacked, and called it "appeasement politics."
A day later, Prashant Kishor, the former election strategist for many political parties and now who heads the aspiring party Jan Suraaj, said it is "laughable" when Mr Yadav speaks about development.
"I may give comments if Tejashwi Yadav spoke on caste, extortion, liquor mafia, crime... but if Tejashwi Yadav discusses development model, it is laughable. They have been in power for the last 15 years. He does not know what GDP and GDP growth are, and is talking about the development story of Bihar," Mr Kishor told reporters.
"As far as crime is concerned, when Tejashwi Yadav was the Deputy Chief Minister six months ago, Bihar was Switzerland for him and after six months Bihar has become a gutter... If today Nitish Kumar joins Mahagathbandhan, Bihar will again start looking great to him..." Mr Kishor said.
He has said his new outfit Jan Suraaj will contest the Bihar assembly election 2025.
Mr Kishor had once worked with Nitish Kumar, but in January the former election strategist called the Bihar Chief Minister "paltumaar" and said flip-flops have become a part of his politics. Experts have speculated the Jan Suraaj may back some candidates in the next Bihar election.
Bihar has been demanding a special economic package from the centre. The Union Budget 2024 announced a Rs 58.9-crore growth package for Bihar.
With inputs from ANI