Insensitivity of Nitish govt during Covid drove me into politics, claims Prashant Kishor

Patna: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has claimed that the alleged insensitivity of the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar during the Covid-19 pandemic drove him to take the political plunge in his home state.

The former political strategist has also rejected allegations that he has floated his own party, which will contest the upcoming assembly polls in the state, to enjoy power.

"I had helped steer the Mahagathbandhan to a huge victory in Bihar in the 2015 assembly polls. Had I wanted a position of power for myself, I would have got it then itself," Kishor told a podcast.

The 47-year-old, whose consultancy firm IPAC boasts of handling campaigns of leaders as diverse as Narendra Modi, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, also felt "people should be careful while voting for a leader than while choosing a movie to watch because of the stars' appeal".

"Stakes are higher in an election....People often say they will vote on the issue of education, health and corruption, since they want to be seen as doing the right thing. But they end up getting swayed by considerations of caste and religion," the Jan Suraaj Party founder said.

He claimed, "I made up my mind to serve my home state of Bihar when I witnessed the insensitivity of the government here during the global COVID pandemic. Just imagine, Bihari migrants were being driven out in other states and they had to walk thousands of kilometres to return home".

Kishor said he had decided after the 2021 West Bengal polls that he would no longer engage in campaign management.

"After some reflection, I floated my own party," he said.

"Bihar suffers because its leaders believe they will get votes even if they do not perform. I hope my party will be a catalyst for change," Kishor told Prakhar Gupta in the podcast.