Prashant Kishor reminds Bihar's Dy CM of BJP's 2015 defeat amid tussle over seat sharing

A war-of-words has broken out within the NDA in Bihar ahead of the assembly elections scheduled next year. Soon after Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Sushil Modi criticised JD(U) Vice President and poll strategist Prashant Kishor for his statement on seat-sharing, Kishor has given a befitting response. Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Kishor has said Sushil Modi was made the Deputy CM even after BJP lost the election. Therefore, he added, in what sounded like a sarcastic tone, that it is good to hear about politics and ideology from him. 

READ: Prashant Kishor waxes sarcastic after Hardeep Puri's withering 'Who is he?' remark

The BJP-JDU war-of-words has been triggered after Kishor in an exclusive interview to Republic Media Network had said that JD(U) is a bigger party and will contest on more seats than the BJP. Slamming his statement, Deputy CM Modi, taking to Twitter said that there has been no decision on the seat-sharing as of now. He had added that both parties will decide on the correct time. He had slammed Kishor, saying that he is trying to benefit the opposition by speaking against the alliance and by not following the terms and conditions of the alliance.  

READ:  Bihar BJP boss slams Prashant Kishor; asks 'is he JDU chief to speak on seat-sharing?'

Who is Prashant Kishor? 

Kishor, a poll strategist heading a team called I-PAC, first came into limelight when he worked for Narendra Modi's campaign in 2014. He then engineered the poll campaign in Punjab for Captain Amarinder Singh.  In 2015, Kishor worked for the JD(U) when the party was a part of Mahagathbandhan in Bihar and led the grand alliance to their landslide victory in the assembly elections in Bihar. He also worked for the Congress party in the assembly polls of Uttar Pradesh, however, BJP won the election. 

In the Lok Sabha election earlier this year, he worked for YSRCP in Andhra Pradesh and led the party to a massive victory in both assembly and general election. Recently Kishor worked with Shiv Sena in Maha-dramatic Maharashtra polls and is currently working with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's AAP for Delhi assembly election. Notably, Kishor first hit headlines after helping Narendra Modi win the 2012 Gujarat assembly election. 

READ: Prashant Kishor calls Nitish Kumar 'face of Bihar' & JD(U) 'bigger party' than BJP

Bihar assembly elections 2020

With a total of 243 seats in Bihar assembly, the state goes to polls next year. While the ruling alliance of JD(U) and BJP are reportedly having internal tussles, the Opposition alliance - the Mahagathbandhan appears to be directionless after the massive poll drubbing in the general elections 2019. Lalu Yadav's party failed to open its account in the general elections and Nitish Kumar is facing anti-incumbency. 

Currently, the JD(U) holds 69 seats while the BJP holds 54 seats in the assembly. The Opposition consisting of RJD, Congress and others, hold 105 seats. The JD(U)-led NDA alliance trounced the Mahagathbandhan in the Lok Sabha elections in the state. While the NDA won 39 of the 40 seats, RJD won one seat and the Congress failed to win a single seat.

READ: Sushil Modi : Prashant Kishor has made statement to benefit Opposition party