'If I make PM, CM, why not MLA, MP?'

Poll strategist and national vice-president of the Janata Dal (United) Prashant Kishor has said that if he can help leaders become Prime Minister and Chief Minister, why can’t he help youths in Bihar become MP and MLA.

“If I can make PM and CMs, why can’t I help the youths from Bihar in becoming MP, MLA or Mukhiya?” said Kishor, while interacting with young leaders at a meeting convened by Chhatra JD (U), the student wing of the ruling party, in Muzaffarpur.

Kishor, who as a poll strategist, worked with Narendra Modi during Gujarat elections and later during 2014 Lok Sabha polls, is best remembered for coining terms like ‘Chai pe charcha’. Later during Bihar Assembly elections in 2015, when he worked for Nitish, he coined slogans like “Bihar mein bahar hai, Nitishey Kumar hai” while rooting for the JD (U) strongman.

Urging youths to join the politics, the poll strategist, who has worked earlier with Congress and YSR (Congress) too, said, “In Bihar, the panchayat elections and urban body polls would be held soon. Those youths, who aspire to join mainstream politics should start from grass-roots level. If good people like you won’t join politics, then be prepared to be governed by bad people.”

Making a fervent plea to youths to join politics, Kishor said, “During the first Lok Sabha elections in 1952, there were 26 per cent MPs who were below the age of 40. Today, only 7.3 per cent MPs are below the age of 40. This trend needs to be corrected as there are 48 crore young voters today in India.”

JD (U) national president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has assigned Kishor the task to rope in youth and women in the party who could contest elections right from Lok Sabha to panchayat.