‘JD(U) would have won less than 25 seats had it not given Rs 10K to women’

Patna: Jan Suraaj Party leader Prashant Kishor on Tuesday claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) would have been limited to just 25 seats

had his government not given Rs 10,000 to over 60,000 beneficiaries in each constituency just before the Assembly elections and promised Rs 2 lakh to 1.5 crore women across the state under a self-employment scheme.

He accused the NDA government of promising Rs 40,000 crore of people’s money, and rolling out a large chunk of it just ahead of the elections.

Addressing a press conference here, Kishor said that his Jan Suraaj Party made an honest effort to make people understand the issues facing them but failed to make a mark in the polls, and that he took full responsibility for the debacle.

“None of our candidates is going to the Assembly. People’s mandate for us is to go among the people and struggle,” he said.

Citing an English phrase, he said, “You are not defeated until you quit.”

“We may have made mistakes, but have not committed the crime of doing divisive politics and buying the votes of the innocent people,” he added.

Kishor also alleged that ‘vote chori’ (theft of votes) is a pan-India issue, and urged national Opposition parties to hold deliberations on the matter and move the Supreme Court, if needed.

On the question whether he failed to understand Bihar, he said, “Yes, I failed to understand Bihar, unlike Nitish Kumar, BJP leader Samrat Choudhary and others who divided people on caste and religious lines and bought votes of people using money.”

“To not get votes is not a crime... at least I have not indulged in corruption or divisive politics,” he said.

Kishor said he would “definitely quit” politics if the NDA government fulfils its poll promise and gives Rs 2 lakh each to Rs 1.5 crore women under self-employment initiatives.