Political strategist Prashant Kishor on Wednesday said that he will withdraw his Jan Suraaj Abhiyan from Bihar and support Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Grand Alliance only if the government provides up to 10 lakh jobs in the next two years, PTI reported.
Kishor was referring to the promise of 20 lakh jobs made by Kumar in his Independence Day speech. The announcement came two days after his deputy, Tejashwi Yadav, had said that Bihar would soon provide the most number of government jobs in the country.
Bihar’s unemployment rate of 18.8% is one of the highest in India. It is one of the many problems that Kishor may attempt to resolve through his Jan Suraaj Abhiyan campaign launched in May. He wants to establish regional connections, find out about residents’ problems and provide possible solutions to them.
The campaign will also comprise a 3,000-km march that will take place in Bihar from October 2. In the run-up to the rally, he plans to meet leaders who can help him build the idea of jan suraaj, or good governance. Kishor has said that around 17,500 to 18,000 people have been identified to join his movement.
On Wednesday, Kishor also said that the new Bihar government – a coalition of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), Congress, four Left parties and an Independent candidate – does not have the support of the people, PTI reported.
“Nitish Kumar uses ‘Fevicol’ [an adhesive brand] to stick to the CM’s post, while other parties continue to revolve around it,” he stated.
Nitish Kumar took oath as the chief minister for the eighth time on August 10, a day after he snapped ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance. Hours later, he staked a claim to form a new government after being elected as the leader of the Grand Alliance.
Kishor said he believes that Bihar will see many political upheavals in the future, PTI reported. “It has been only three months since I entered the political arena in Bihar, and the politics in the state took a 180-degree turn,’ he added.
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