Treated Muslims like fuel for 'lantern': Prashant Kishor targets Lalu, asks upper castes to stay away from Nitish

Belaganj (Bihar): Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday claimed his Muslim outreach has left RJD president Lalu Prasad at his wit's end and the party's poll symbol lantern was now "bereft of fuel".

The former political strategist made the sassy remark at an election meeting in Belaganj assembly constituency where bypoll is scheduled later this month and Jan Suraaj is engaged in a three-cornered contest with RJD and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U).

Holding forth before a crowd that was predictably upper caste, Kishor said, "You must give me the credit for hoisting by his own petard a man you have lived in fear of for 35 years. Today he is not able to think clearly." "Having treated Muslims like fuel for his lantern, he now finds his hurricane lamp without kerosene and its wick running dry," he added.

Notably, Kishor has fielded social activist Mohd Amjad from Belaganj, a move that is in line with his strategy of wooing Muslims, as seen in his series of interactions with members of the community before Jan Suraaj campaign evolved into a political party last month.

However, Kishor alleged that the land-owning castes were committing a mistake by voting for "cunning" (chalaak) Nitish Kumar who has "come up with the biggest assault on your interests in history in the form of land survey".

"The land survey requires you to get signatures of sisters and aunts who may have been married long ago to prove that you are bona fide owners of your land. In a few years, this exercise may be used to deprive you of your land," said Kishor, attempting to raise an issue that resonates strongly with the people of a largely agricultural state.

Kishor also recalled the 2020 assembly polls in which the JD(U)'s numbers crashed as a result of the revolt of Chirag Paswan, who gave LJP tickets to many rebels from the BJP, the first party of choice for the upper castes in Bihar.

"You (upper castes) had played a role in the humiliation of Nitish Kumar. The swagger over heading a party that once had more than 110 seats in the 243-strong assembly was gone and replaced by mortification over a humble 40 something tally," the IPAC founder said.

"Nitish remembers it all. He now wants to avenge the insult through his land survey. You must beware. Do not vote for Jan Suraaj if you do not like us. But do not vote for the party of Nitish. Better to opt for NOTA or an Independent candidate," said Kishor, who had handled the JD(U) boss's campaign in 2015 assembly polls and joined the party afterwards, only to be kicked out following a squabble with the supremo a few years later.

Bypolls are scheduled in three other seats of Bihar on November 13 and the Jan Suraaj is contesting all the four.