Prashant Kishor slams Bihar CM over blocking 'Badlav Rally'

Patna, April 11 (IANS) Jan Suraaj Party Chief Prashant Kishor on Friday launched a scathing attack on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of deliberately obstructing public participation in the party's much-publicised 'Bihar Badlav Rally' at the Gandhi Maidan here.

Kishor alleged that key routes connecting North Bihar -- including JP Setu (two-lane bridge) and MG (four-lane bridge) were deliberately choked to prevent his party supporters from reaching the venue.

"The same Pandit who performs the wedding can also do the Shraadh," said Kishor, drawing parallels to his role in orchestrating Nitish Kumar’s 2015 election victory.

"I helped Nitish Kumar win in 2015 when he was politically finished. Now, I will end his political innings."

Taking an aim at the current state administration, Kishor said that Bihar had once ended Lalu Yadav's 'Jungle Raj', and now it was time to end the "Officers' Jungle Raj" under Nitish Kumar's leadership.

He cited the government's handling of the Bihar Public Service Commission protest and Friday's rally as examples of systemic suppression.

Despite bold claims of a "lakhs-strong” crowd, the turnout at the Gandhi Maidan fell far short of expectations.

The event saw repeated rescheduling, starting from an initial 2 p.m. slot that was later pushed to 6 p.m. from 3 p.m.

By the time Prashant Kishor took the stage at 6 p.m., empty chairs were witnessed on the ground.

The speech of Prashant Kishor concluded in just eight minutes, with him promising to personally meet the attendees.

Insiders say the Jan Suraaj team is analysing the missteps behind the underwhelming response.

The poor turnout sparked sharp reactions from rival parties.

JD-U MLC Neeraj Kumar ridiculed the rally, calling it "a gathering smaller than Patna's evening walkers".

Mocking Kishor's image, the JD-U MLC added, "His show is over, shutter down. He should head back to Tamil Nadu."

RJD Spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed launched a scathing attack at Kishor, saying: "You dream of power in Bihar with empty chairs? You have no connection with the state's real issues. You're nothing more than an event manager."

Ahmed also claimed that RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's leadership is resonating more strongly with the people, citing a visible "wind of change" in Bihar.

Kishor's attempt to make a grand electoral entry appears to have stumbled, at least in terms of mass mobilisation.

While Jan Suraaj Party claims significant groundwork across Bihar's districts, the rally's outcome indicates that converting outreach into electoral influence may require a deeper connection with grassroots issues and a better strategy.

--IANS

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