Bihar: ‘Physically tired, mentally retired,’ says Prashant Kishor slamming Nitish Kumar

Jan Suraaj party founder Prashant Kishor has claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was “physically tired and mentally retired”. Kishor urged voters to ensure that Janata Dal (United) must not win even one seat in the assembly polls due later this year.

“Nitish Kumar has managed to hold on to the seat of power while switching alliances. This enables him to be the CM even if the JD(U) has a small number of seats," Kishor said, talking to reporters on Thursday.

JD-U chief Nitish Kumar snapped ties with BJP in 2013, only to return four years later, after having shared power with RJD between 2015 and 2017. In 2022, he again crossed over to the RJD-helmed Mahagathbandhan, but was back in NDA last year.

‘Break this cycle’

"To break this cycle and to ensure that the arrow (JDU's poll symbol) does not float with the lotus (BJP) nor burn bright with the lantern (RJD), I appeal to the people that they vote in a manner that the JD(U) does not win even one seat. Only then would we be rid of the chief minister, who is physically tired and mentally retired," said Kishor.

Assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled for later next year. Jan Suraaj Party will contest assembly elections, too.

Kishor, the former JD(U) national vice president also lambasted the BJP for "enjoying power while using Nitish Kumar as a mask," and alleged that "loot of public money and assuaging some estranged castes" were the intentions behind the cabinet expansion on Wednesday "with hardly six months left for polls".

The former JD(U) national vice president also lambasted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for "enjoying power while using Nitish Kumar as a mask," and alleged that "loot of public money and assuaging some estranged castes" were the intentions behind the cabinet expansion on Wednesday "with hardly six months left for polls".

Kishor was also asked about the buzz generated by the chief minister's son Nishant, who has of late been maintaining that his father was "100 per cent" fit and deserved another term in office, triggering speculations that the JD(U) supremo's reclusive offspring could take the political plunge himself.

"I do not want to say much about Nishant since he is not in public life. But I challenge his father to spell out the names of ministers in the state cabinet without looking at a piece of paper. If Nitish Kumar thus demonstrates his mental soundness, I would give up politics and start working for him," he said.

(With PTI inputs)