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Prashant Kishor had briefly joined JDU in 2018, but was expelled later

New Delhi:

In sharp remarks on the Bihar power shift, poll strategist Prashant Kishor has called Chief Minister Nitish Kumar “paltumaar” and said flip-flops have become a part of his politics. Mr Kishor, who now heads the Jan Suraj organisation that may back some candidates in the next Bihar election, did not spare the BJP either and said its leaders, who were criticising Mr Kumar days back, are now welcoming him.

‘Paltumar’ means someone who keeps shifting his stand. In the wake of five political flip-flops in a decade, Mr Kumar is being described as ‘paltumar’ or ‘paltu kumar’ by critics.

#WATCH | Begusarai: On On JDU Chief Nitish Kumar resigning as the CM of Bihar and JD(U)-BJP alliance, Prashant Kishor, Poll Strategist says, “I have been saying this since starting that Nitish Kumar can swap anytime. This has become a part of his politics… He is a ‘paltumaar’.… pic.twitter.com/V7LR9rcJ71

— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2024

“I have been saying this since starting that Nitish Kumar can swap anytime. This has become a part of his politics. But today’s developments have shown that all parties and leaders in Bihar are ‘paltumaars’. It is now proved that (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi, (Home Minister) Amit Shah and the BJP are also ‘paltumaars’,” Mr Kishor said in a press meet, a video of which has been shared by ANI.

The poll strategist had briefly joined the JDU in 2018 and was elevated to the post of the party vice-president. He was, however, expelled shortly after his remarks criticising the JDU’s decision to back the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The BJP, he said, was saying months back that its doors are shut for Mr Kumar. “The BJP leaders verbally abusing Nitish Kumar yesterday will now hail him as a symbol of good governance. RJD, which was calling him a leader for the future, will see corruption in Bihar today,” he said.

The world knows that Mr Kumar is a paltumaar and it is not a subject worth discussing anymore, he said. “But today’s developments show that Mr Kumar has painted the state’s politics in his colours and BJP and RJD are as big ‘paltumaars’ as Nitish Kumar,” he said.

Mr Kishor made another prediction while responding to the Bihar developments. “I make another prediction and you can catch me if I am proven wrong. The alliance that has been formed will not last till the assembly polls. In fact, it may come apart within a few months of the Lok Sabha polls,” he said, according to a PTI report.

“The BJP is doing now what the Congress had done during RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s time. Both national parties have aligned with hugely unpopular regional leaders for small gains at the central level,” he added.

Earlier, Mr Kumar resigned as Chief Minister this morning, ending his alliance with the RJD and the Congress one-and-a-half years after he parted ways with the BJP and returned to the Opposition alliance.

The eight-time Chief Minister is likely to take the oath of office for the ninth time this evening. Eight ministers, including two Deputy Chief Ministers from the BJP, will be sworn in with Mr Kumar.