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| Edited By: |Source: DNA |Updated: Sep 18, 2018, 07:45 AM IST
The entry of Prashant Kishor into the JD(U) fold as the right-hand man of Nitish Kumar is a huge positive for the Bihar Chief Minister.
Kumar, who is desperately in need of a lifeline after relentless attacks by the RJD on the Muzzafarpur child abuse case, will be looking to the electoral strategist not only to bolster his image but also sort out the vexed issue of seat sharing with the BJP.
Despite meeting Kumar on July 12 this year, BJP president Amit Shah has still not committed to a formula. Kishor has been in this role before. He resurrected Kumar’s career after the latter was swept away by the “Modi Wave” in 2014 and helped him to become the Chief Minister in 2015.
Another plus for Kumar is that he enjoys good relations with Prime Minister Modi as he had helped the BJP in its 2012 Gujarat campaign, and the all important 2014 national elections. But there are hurdles that weren’t there the last time round.
The BJP is not the same party it was in 2014 and Modi is certainly not the pre-2014 Modi, which means any concession on seat sharing would be tough to obtain against a party which believes it can now win almost everywhere on its own.
Also, Kishor will come up against Amit Shah, a man who is believed to have no love lost for him. Though there are reports that the two have now buried the hatchet, it is unlikely that Shah will go out of his way to accommodate Kishor’s concerns. Shah hasn’t done so against other allies, like the Shiva Sena, and he has even hinted more that BJP is prepared to fight alone in Maharashtra in 2019. Despite the presence of Kishor, the JD(U) should be prepared for similar rhetoric. Kishor, doubtless, knows all this. Still, the ace strategist is sure to have a few cards up his sleeve which may benefit both the BJP and the JD(U).
