Will retire from politics if JD(U) wins more than 25 seats in upcoming Bihar Assembly polls, says Prashant Kishor

PATNA: Jan Suraaj Party founder and political activist Prashant Kishor on Monday predicted that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) would not get more than 25 seats in the upcoming assembly elections due in October-November. Addressing a gathering in Kishanganj district, Kishor said that he would retire from politics if JD(U) crossed the mark of 25 in the assembly polls. To drive home his point, he cited the example of the West Bengal elections in which he had predicted about BJPs poll prospects. Jan Suraaj Party leader said that he had noted earlier that BJP would not cross the mark of 100 in West Bengal elections and as said, the saffron party was limited to only 77 seats. I will quit politics if JD(U) gets beyond 25 seats in the election, he asserted. He also took a swipe at JD(U) national general secretary Manish Kumar Varmas allegations that Kishor was colliding with the liquor mafia. JD(U) suffers setback as two leaders quit to join Prashant Kishors Jan Suraaj Party He compared Varma to a dog walking on the road and said that there is no need to respond to everybody. Kishor advocated for an alliance between Muslims and Hindus who, he said, are Gandhians, Ambedkarites, communists and socialists. He claimed that half of the Hindus did not vote for the BJP. The Muslims should join hands with the Hindus to fight the long battle, he added. He said that in the country, Hindus were 80 per cent, and the BJP got only 40 per cent of the votes of it. It means that half of the Hindus dont vote for BJP. You people have to recognise who doesnt vote for the Hindus, he said, adding that there were Hindus who followed Gandhi Ji, Ambedkar, communism and socialism. He said that if these Hindus and 20 per cent Muslims joined hands, they can fight the long battle. Kishor also criticised AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi over the latters position that Muslims must fight alone to defeat the BJP. He said that Jan Suraaj Party believed in fighting together with Hindus who were ideologically motivated to defeat BJP in the coming assembly elections in the State. Jan Suraaj Party has already declared that it would contest all the 243 assembly seats. The party has ruled out alliance with any political group.