Political Strategist Prashant Kishor Vows to Dethrone Nitish Kumar

Political strategist Prashant Kishor launched a critical attack on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, accusing him of being controlled by 'four retired bureaucrats'. Kishor pledged to oust Kumar in the 2025 state elections, criticizing the CM's policies and leadership. He aims to eliminate the liquor ban if elected.

Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleging that the state government was being ''run by four retired bureaucrats'' and the CM was in the ''grip of these former babus''.

Addressing a press conference, three days ahead of floating his own political party, Kishor vowed to dislodge the JD(U) president from power.

He charged the longest-serving CM of Bihar with running his government through a handful of ''retired bureaucrats''.

He also claimed that the 2025 Bihar assembly polls would be fought on the issue of 'three S', that is 'sarab' (liquor), 'survey' (land) and 'smart meter', and asserted that these issues would prove to be the ''final nail in the coffin for the current regime''.

Kishor insisted that the Nitish Kumar government is being run by four retired bureaucrats. The CM is in the grip of these babus and neither Kumar nor these bureaucrats are aware of the problems being faced by the people. He claimed Kumar has lost his morality and is only interested in securing the CM's chair.

He announced his 'Jan Suraj' initiative will become a political party on October 2.

Kishor said, ''When we form the government after the 2025 assembly polls in Bihar, we will end the liquor ban within one hour,'' adding that ''the existing prohibition law in the state is fake''.

The state has been incurring a ''loss of nearly Rs 20,000 crore every year'', while the ''liquor mafia and officials continue to make money from illegal trade'', Kishor said.

Kishor pledged to continue to speak against the policy, unfazed by the potential loss of women's votes.

''Whether I get votes of women or not, I will continue speaking against the liquor ban since it is not in the interest of Bihar,'' Kishor said. He further accused Kumar of holding onto power as if he had applied adhesive to his chair and criticized both the RJD and JD(U) for ''harming the interests'' of Bihar.

''If RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar are responsible for the destruction of Bihar, the Congress and the BJP are equally to be blamed,'' Kishor claimed.

(With inputs from agencies.)