‘Prashant Kishor’s drive holds key to next step,’ says ex-JDU leader Pavan Varma

Former Janata Dal (United) Rajya Sabha member of Parliament (MP), Pavan Varma, is of the opinion that political strategist, Prashant Kishor’s, ‘Baat Bihar ki’ ‘ holds the key’ in a possible third front coming to fruition in the poll-bound state, where election is slated to be held in November.

Former Janata Dal (United) Rajya Sabha member of Parliament (MP), Pavan Varma, is of the opinion that political strategist, Prashant Kishor’s, ‘Baat Bihar ki’ ‘ holds the key’ in a possible third front coming to fruition in the poll-bound state, where election is slated to be held in November.

“It’s too early to tell. Right now he [Kishor] and I believe that Bihar is on the cusp of a transformative change. We are seeing an aspirational Bihar. We are seeing whether mass support can convert an apolitical platform to a political movement. How that is done and in what manner will be decided soon,” Varma told HT.

Kishor launched ‘Baat Bihar ki’ last month to mobilise like-minded people who believe in the development of Bihar. Kishor was expelled from the JD(U) by state chief minister (CM) and his one-time mentor, Nitish Kumar, for criticising the party’s support for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Varma too was expelled for joining issue with Kumar over the similar issue.

Sources told HT that Kishor has already met Congress Bihar chief Madan Mohan Jha, former Bihar CM and Hindustani Awam Morcha head, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party president, Upendra Kushwaha.

Varma said he is in constant touch with Kishor as a “friend” and “colleague”, but the career diplomat-turned-politician himself is still undecided on his political future. “I haven’t yet decided on which party to join. I’ve recently been expelled from a party which I wear as a badge of honour because I did what I believed was right,” he said.

“Kishor and I are old colleagues and friends. I was the one who put him [Kishor] in touch with Nitishji in 2015 in the run up to Bihar election. We’ve been close ever since. Now, we share the honour of being expelled together for our beliefs,” he added. Varma claimed that ‘Baat Bihar ki’ has already drawn 10 lakh people in the state and Kishor hopes that the figure may go up to one crore over the next two months.

“Once there is a groundswell of support, Kishor will take a call on how to convert this into a political movement,” he said.