On the 10th of December, we had told our readers how Prashant Kishor may well be out of his way from the JD(U). An election strategist and at best a political opportunist, Kishor is known for not having loyalties where his mouth is.
The JD(U) had extended its unequivocal support to the BJP on the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Bill. This upset many within the former party, to the extent that National Vice-President of the JD(U) and senior leader Pavan Verma dissented from the party line and suggested the party to have another thought about its position on the legislation.
Prashant Kishor said, “Disappointed to see JD(U) supporting CAB that discriminates right of citizenship on the basis of religion.” The tweet further said, “It is incongruous with the party’s constitution that carries the word secular thrice on the very first page and the leadership that is supposedly guided by Gandhian ideals.” Similarly, Gulam Rasool Balyawi said, “Minorities, especially Muslims, have been facing difficulties and restlessness after our party supported CAB in Lok Sabha. I insist you to seriously reconsider the decision taken by the party in this regard.”
Despite knowing that the party leadership was uncomfortable about the statements of three of its leaders, Prashant Kishor the next day also tweeted: “While supporting #CAB, the JDU leadership should spare a moment for all those who reposed their faith and trust in it in 2015. We must not forget that but for the victory of 2015, the party and its managers wouldn’t have been left with much to cut any deal with anyone.” This, according to reports, has enraged Nitish Kumar and the senior party leadership.
As a result, JD(U) state president and Rajya Sabha MP Bashistha Narain Singh has advised leaders to exercise restraint while airing their views. “Our is a democratic setup. I will ask all leaders to keep their views on party forum and not toe a line which is different from the party’s official stand,” Singh said on Wednesday. JD(U) National Gen Secretary Sanjay Jha further said, “The party’s official line is clear. And it is there for all to see in the ongoing session of the Parliament. A leader or two may express a personal opinion but such isolated cases must not be construed as a division within the party on the issue,”.
It is evident that the adventurism of the three leaders from JD(U) has not gone down well with Nitish Kumar, who is a man with a large ego himself. Being a supremo-centred party, all its leaders are expected to toe the party line under all circumstances. Dissent is unwelcome. Therefore, what is in the mind of Prashant Kishor, who seems very keen to trigger Nitish Kumar? As a political strategist, the man has friends in all parties, including the RJD. Is he scripting Nitish’s downfall while on the payrolls of Lalu?