‘One of Bihar’s 10 Best Leaders’: Prashant Kishor Praises Nitish Kumar Despite Political Differences

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has described JD(U) president Nitish Kumar as one of Bihar’s 10 best political leaders of all time, even as he questioned the former chief minister’s continued hold on power, citing concerns over his mental health and alleging that the government was being run through proxies.

Kishor, who has emerged as a vocal critic of Kumar in recent months, made the remarks on Saturday while campaigning in Vaishali district for the upcoming Legislative Council elections. He was responding to questions about whether Kumar, whom he has known for years, could have ordered the killing of political opponents.

The question followed a controversial remark by Mokama MLA Anant Kumar Singh, who had spoken of “nine murders” but later retracted the statement, claiming he was referring to members of his own family who were killed because of his association with Kumar when the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) was in power.

Kishor, a former national vice-president of the JD(U), said the matter concerned the ruling JD(U) and the opposition RJD, adding that the two parties could seek an investigation if they considered it necessary. He maintained that his Jan Suraaj Party had no role in the dispute.

Offering a mixed assessment of Kumar’s political legacy, Kishor said the JD(U) leader would be remembered as someone who had tried to improve Bihar. He recalled that he had opposed Kumar not because he dismissed his contribution to the state, but because he believed the veteran leader was continuing in office despite concerns about his mental condition, with others allegedly running the government on his behalf.

Kishor had previously worked on Kumar’s 2015 Assembly election campaign while heading political consultancy firm IPAC.

Turning to another issue in Vaishali, Kishor criticised Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for not visiting the village where a boat tragedy last week claimed the lives of 13 children. He alleged that the village had been neglected because it fell within the Assembly constituency of Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition.

Calling the incident a major tragedy, Kishor said the bereaved families deserved assistance and sympathy. He announced that he would visit the village on October 20, coinciding with Dussehra, and spend the day with the grieving families.

His remarks placed the spotlight on both Bihar’s political leadership and the government’s response to a tragedy that has left several families mourning.