NEW DELHI/PATNA: Election strategist Prashant Kishor’s dinner meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in New Delhi has created ripples in political circles in Bihar, triggering speculations of his return to the Janata Dal (United).
The meeting comes at a time when Kishor’s relationship with the Trinamool Congress leadership is believed to have turned sour. On the other hand, ties between the two main NDA allies in Bihar — BJP and JD(U) — are also strained. Kishor held talks with Nitish over diner for nearly two hours late Friday. It was their first meeting since Kishor was sacked as JD-U national vice president in 2020.
Nitish described it as a courtesy meeting and said “nothing much should be read into it”. He did not, however, rule out the Kishor’s “homecoming” when asked about it. Kishor, on his part, denied any political purpose behind the visit. He said he had called the Bihar CM over the phone to inquire about his health when he (Nitish) was infected with Omicron. “He had expressed his desire to meet then. But it materialised only on Friday,” Kishor said.
However, political observers feel there’s more to the meeting than meets the eye. Kishor has been involved in attempts to rally opposition parties against the BJP ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections in 2024. In an interview with a private news channel, he had cited the name of Nitish who could play a pivotal role in checking the growing influence of the BJP. Kishor’s latest move is being seen as an overture to his former boss. According to JD-U sources, with this meeting Nitish has sought to send out a message to the BJP, which has, of late, been openly critical of him on a range of issues.