Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Feb 19: Amidst reports that election strategist Prashant Kishor is not very comfortable with his relations with the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, his meeting in Delhi with the Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday night on the dinner table has created a buzz in the political circle about a possible re-union between the two.
Both had confirmed the meeting but both claimed it to be a mere “courtesy” with the advice not to read too much on the meeting and that the two “continue to be polls apart on political thoughts” but Kishor, who was unceremoniously thrown out of the Janata Dal (United) of which he was the vice-chairman under Nitish Kumar’s chairmanship in 2020 had created doubted if he would ever see the JD(U) leader eye-to-eye.
Sources close to Kishor, however, dismissed any significance in his having the meeting with Nitish Kumar only a day after reports from Kolkata said the TMC could be re-thinking on its ties with Kishor’s strategic group I-PAC about continuing the contract they had entered into before the West Bengal Assembly elections last year. Kishor had come out with flying colours helping the TMC to win a record number of 213 in the 294-member state Assembly which virtually began the process of decimation of the BJP in the state which before the elections was dreaming to take over the reins of the state from the TMC’s Mamata Banerjee. But Abhishek being reinstated as the TMC national general secretary may give an indication that his differences with Mamata Banerjee may have been sorted out.
Nitish Kumar on Saturday dismissed speculation about a ‘special agenda’ amid buzz over his meeting with Kishor who was expelled from his party in 2020. “Is my relationship with Prashant Kishor only from today? There is no special meaning behind the meeting,” the 70-year-old chief minister said on his meeting with Kishor. Reports said Prashant Kishor dined with Nitish Kumar and the two were closeted for over two hours on Friday.
In 2020, Kishor was sacked from the JDU amid fallout with Nitish Kumar, who despite his party’s elative poor show in the assembly elections was given the honour of heading the government by the JD(U)’s ally the BJP despite it enjoying a majority share in the alliance. Kishor reportedly fell out with Nitish over the stand on the controversial citizenship amendment law which the Bihar chief minister was forced to support under pressure from its dominant partner. The contentious law – that triggered huge protests in the country – has been labelled as discriminatory against Muslims by critics.
Kishor, however, maintained that “Nitish ji always treated me like his son, and he was like father to me. So whatever decisions he has taken, I am fine with those. He inducted me in the party, and expelled me – but I don’t hold any grudges against him,” he had said at that time.
The latest meeting also comes amid speculation of differences between Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and Prashant Kishor’s IPAC that gave a clarification over reports of being drawn into the recent party infighting. Last year, there was buzz that Kishor may join Congress but he has dismissed the speculation in recent interviews. He has also been vocal in his criticism of the Gandhis and the party’s functioning.
Kishor said about his meeting with Nitish Kumar to be a mere “courtesy visit” stemming from a casual chat. When Nitish Kumar caught an Omicron infection, he explained, he had phoned him to ask about his health. Nitish Kumar had then expressed his desire to meet, and this materialised yesterday, he said. Kishor also ruled out any immediate fallout of the meeting, insisting that politically, they are poles apart.
The strategist, having earned huge props with Mamata Banerjee’s Bengal win, has been proactive in efforts to rally opposition forces against the BJP – Nitish Kumar’s ally – for the 2024 national election. Kishor’s only political turn so far, with Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United, soured within months and ended with his sacking as national vice-chairman.
But in recent interviews, Kishor has talked about his cordial relations with the Bihar leader and has also named him as one of the few with whom he would like to reconnect. Many say such an unexpected move is in sync with Kishor’s MO of keeping everyone guessing, especially at a time he is tackling turbulence in his dealings with Mamata Banerjee and her Abhishek Banerjee.
Nitish Kumar apparently wanted to make his meeting with Kishor public as it served a deeper purpose. Sources close to the Chief Minister say he wanted to send a message to the BJP, which has, of late, been openly critical of him on a range of subjects. Since he returned to power in the 2020 Bihar election with a vastly diminished share in the alliance, Nitish Kumar has struggled to keep the BJP “in check” and a murmur is reportedly on in the Bihar BJP to break the ties with JD(U) and grab the chief minister’s chair. Kishor also similarly sends a message to the TMC that its next tie is already in the offing if the Trinamool attempted to impose its own terms on the I-PAC.