Prashant Kishor states he won't contest in election

Bettiah: Prashant Kishor, a former political strategist who is now an activist, ruled out the prospect of running for office himself but reaffirmed his commitment to creating a "better alternative" for his native Bihar.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, he further blasted JD(U) leaders for calling him a "dhandhebaaz" (dealer) with limited political knowledge and challenged them to find out "why he had me put up at his residence for two years" from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Kishor, who is on a 3,500-km-long "padayatra" of the state, said similar people's polls will be held in all districts of the state based on which the next course of action will be decided.

Kisor claimed Kumar will once again shower encomiums on him if he joins his "political enterprise".

"Since I have charted an independent course for myself, he and his lackeys are unhappy with me," he said.

"JD(U) leaders like to berate me. They should ask Nitish Kumar what was I doing at his residence for two years if I had no political understanding," he added.

Replying to a query, Kishor said he did not repent for having worked with Kumar in the past.

"There is a world of difference between what he (Kumar) was 10 years ago and what he is now. He had given up his chair in 2014 owning moral responsibility for his party's drubbing in Lok Sabha polls. Now, he is willing to make any type of compromise to stay in power," Kishor said.

Mocking the grand alliance government's promise of 10 lakh jobs a year, Kishor said, "I have said it many times and I say it again -- if they fulfil the promise I will give up my campaign.

With PTI inputs