"No Need To Wait Till 2025 To Elect...": Prashant Kishor Jabs Nitish Kumar

Political strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been an open critic of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for some time now, said on Saturday that the Janata Dal (United) leader should not wait till 2025 and make his deputy in the state cabinet, Tejashwi Yadav, the chief minister of Bihar.

Mr Kishor, who is leading his Jan Suraj Padyatra in Bihar, reached Sheohar on the 77th day of the march.

Speaking to media persons in Bihar's Sheohar, Mr Kishor said, "Nitish has announced to contest elections under Tejashwi's leadership. He has accepted the fact that the election cannot be won on his face or by his party JD(U). "

"There is no need to wait till 2025 to elect Tejashwi Yadav as CM. In their alliance, RJD has the biggest share. Nitish Kumar should make him CM. This will give Tejashwi a chance to work for three years and the public will have the opportunity to vote on the basis of his performance," he added.

So far visiting two districts, Mr Kishor said he found that more than 60 per cent of youth have migrated to other states for employment.

Mr Kishor's remarks came after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently said that Tejashwi Yadav will lead the Mahagathbandhan in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

"I am saying this from the beginning...He (Tejashwi Yadav) will definitely do it. You understand it right?" said Mr Kumar in front of the media, on giving Tejashwi Yadav leadership for the 2025 Assembly elections in Bihar.

Notably, Tejashwi Yadav is the younger son of Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) founding president Lalu Prasad.

Nitish Kumar had broken off ties with BJP in August this year and taken oath again as Bihar Chief Minister after rejoining hands with Rashtriya Janata Dal and other parties in the Mahagathbandhan.

Mr Kishor said some people think that Nitish Kumar is working towards a big alliance against the BJP at the Centre but "this is not very credible". He said of the 17 years that Nitish Kumar has been chief minister, he has held the post with the support of the BJP for 14 years.

Both Nitish Kumar and Prashant Kishor have taken potshots at each other in the recent past.

Mr Kishor, who had joined the JD-U and was a national vice president, had been expelled by the party in January 2020 for "acting against the party's decisions".

Mr Kishor had earlier this month hit out at Nitish Kumar over his remarks that he was "working for the BJP" and said the Chief Minister had become "delusional".

"He (Kumar) has been affected by his age and has turned delusional. He has been politically isolated as he is surrounded by people who he himself does not trust. And it is because of this nervousness he speaks rather than what he means," Mr Kishor had said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)