Nitish Kumar still like a father figure, says Prashant Kishor

Poll strategist and former JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor on Tuesday said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was like a father figure to him and, therefore, he won’t question his decision to expel him from the party.

Prashant Kishor was expelled from the JD(U) last month after Nitish took umbrage at his tweets protesting the Narendra Modi government’s stand on Citizenship (Amendment) Act, NRC and NPR.

Kishor, who was then busy campaigning for Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP during Delhi elections, had said that he would respond to his expulsion as JD(U) Vice President after he returns to Patna in mid-February.

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However, on Tuesday, he refrained from casting aspersions on Nitish saying, "My relationship with Nitish ji is not only political. Since 2015, he has treated me like a son. He even allowed me to stay at his residence. Even today, he is like a father figure to me."

The poll strategist, who worked for Nitish during 2015 Bihar elections and helped him give BJP a crushing and decisive defeat in the prestigious battle, however, conceded that differences with Nitish began some time back on "ideological positioning."

"Nitish would often say that come what may, he won’t abandon Gandhi, J P (late Jaiprakash Narayan) and Lohia (Ram Manohar Lohia). But the man, who was celebrating centenary year of Gandhi’s visit to Champaran (in 2017), was running his Government with the help of those who believed in the philosophy of Godse. This 'contradiction' sowed the first seed of differences between us," clarified Kishor.

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"I also did not like that a tall-statured leader like Nitish be declared a chief ministerial candidate by a Gujarat-based leader," said Prashant Kishor, in an oblique reference to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who last year, as BJP chief, had announced that "NDA would go to Bihar polls under the leadership of Nitish."

"It’s for the 12 crore people of Bihar to decide who would be their leader. Not an individual from the party which propagates Godse theory," said Kishor, again avoiding Shah’s name.

"Thirdly, I felt Nitish should not be ‘pichlaggu neta’ (riding piggyback) of BJP or Narendra Modi, who did not even respond when Nitish, with folded hands, asked the Prime Minister to make Patna University a central university,” said Kishor, adding that he would, however, not comment on Nitish’s decision to expel me.

“I have high regards for Nitish ji. I will not question any of his decision. It’s his prerogative to induct or expel anyone,” he said.

He, however, parried questions on whether it was true that he was made JD(U) national vice-president on the advice of Amit Shah. "I have already replied this through Twitter that it’s not true. But if Nitish ji wants to give this excuse, then let him do so and remain happy," was the parting shot by Prashant Kishor.