Prashant Kishor is absent for long, remove him: BJP

Patna, Aug 31: BJP on Tuesday questioned the long absence of election strategist Prashant Kishor, who was assigned by the Bihar government to prepare the state's vision document, and sought his removal from the post of CM's advisor on policy and programme implementation.

BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters that Kishor has left the work of preparing 'Bihar @ 2025 vision document' for which the Bihar government paid Rs 9.31 crore to his 'Citizen Alliance Pvt Ltd'.

He said Kishor has been devoting time on drawing election strategy for Congress in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

"After getting Rs 9.31 crore for preparing vision document for the state, Kishor neither prepared the document nor discharged his duty as CM's advisor," Modi said while questioning his continuance in the post of advisor.

"Kishor should resign from the post of CM's advisor or the CM should dismiss him from the key job," Modi said, adding Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should tell the people as what suggestions he had given for the development of the state in past eight months.

Kishor, who is also the member of Bihar Vikas Mission in the capacity of CM's advisor, had not attended the meeting of the mission on May 31.

He has been to Bihar barely once or twice after being appointed as CM's advisor in January this year. Kishor had planned the election strategy for Nitish Kumar in Bihar Assembly elections of 2015.

The Nitish Kumar government appointed him as CM's advisor and gave him the job of preparing vision document for Bihar's long term development. Kishor, who had hit the limelight by planning election strategy for Narendra Modi in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, has been engaged by Congress for the coming elections in UP and Punjab next year.

Had the state got the vision document prepared, it would have become quite easier for the government to prepare the 15 years of vision document as mandated by NITI Aayog, Modi said.

Apart from preparing the 15 year vision document, NITI Aayog has asked state governments to also prepare seven years 'strategic plan' and three years of 'action plan', he added.

PTI