Prashant Kishor’s 1.5-year padyatra to ‘identify right people’ to fight polls

BHITIHARWA: Poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Sunday started his 3,500-km long padyatra from Bhitiharwa Gandhi Ashram and said that all political equations of major parties would be demolished if people stand against them.

“With the support and suggestions of people, we will identify thousands of ‘right people’ who want to establish a new system. I want people who wish to move parallel to me and not behind me. No power can stand before people’s power,” Kishor said addressing a large crowd. 

“Even as it’s said that I played a major role in victories and defeats of politicians, I have left the profession after 10 years,” he added. “Now, I will work for the ‘right people’ identified by the society who, as MPs, MLAs and MLCs, can work for them and their children.” 

Kishor, who was once close to Nitish Kumar, and also served as JD-U vice president before he fell out with the Bihar CM, took a dig at RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Nitish. He said, “I am not for floating a party first, as people float parties and make big promises. Bihar was the poorest and most backward state 35 years ago and remains so.” He told people, “You voted for BJP, Lalu and Nitish but no change happened. You have to vote for yourself.” 

Kishor will cover almost the entire state on foot during his one-and-a-half-year journey under his Jan Suraj Abhiyan. “I am not here to seek your votes or to form any party but to make new efforts so that we can identify the right people from the society,” Kishor said. “Even my hard critics admit that I know how to formulate election strategy. I will help the right people of the society to contest elections so that opponents find it a hard nut to crack,” he added.

Meanwhile, Nitish while replying to a media query on Kishor’s padyatra, said, “Everyone has his own wish, It doesn’t make any sense.” On the other hand, Bihar BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand said, “PK is a political middleman. He has no leadership value or electoral worth. Everyone knows he has a secret understanding with Nitishji and at the end of the day will join or collaborate with him.”