Prashant Kishor Promises Crackdown on Bihar's Most Corrupt

Patna, Oct 15 (PTI) - Prashant Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, made a bold promise on Wednesday. If his party is voted to power in Bihar, he vowed to launch a crackdown on the state's "100 most corrupt politicians and bureaucrats" within the first month, confiscating their ill-gotten wealth. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Kishor criticized the rampant corruption under the current NDA government, led by the BJP. However, he admitted that it did not have the same negative reputation as Lalu Prasad's RJD.

Kishor stated, "We have promised to rid Bihar of the land mafia, sand mining mafia, and all other types of mafia." To achieve this, he said the party has made six key promises, including the scrapping of what he called the bogus prohibition policy. Within a month of taking office, the new government would implement a law to specifically target the 100 most corrupt individuals in power, who, according to Kishor, might be "conducting pujas to ensure that we do not come to power."

Those identified would be prosecuted, and their ill-gotten wealth would be confiscated and deposited into the state exchequer, with the intention of using these funds to propel Bihar's growth, which has long suffered due to their misdeeds, he said.

In response to a question, Kishor remarked that charges against Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav in the 'land for jobs scam' were well-known and added, "The case is nothing more than a blot on an already dirty piece of cloth."

What Kishor believes to be real news is the corruption within the NDA. He accused Samrat Choudhary of occupying the Deputy Chief Minister's post despite facing serious allegations in a case involving the killing of seven people. Kishor asserted that Choudhary avoided trial by producing a fake certificate indicating he was a minor at the time of the incident.

The Buxar-born leader utilized a popular Hindi proverb, saying these individuals "wrap a blanket around themselves to hide the ghee that they are consuming secretly (kambal odh ke ghee pinaa)."

Though Kishor insists he has "no ambitions" to become Bihar's next chief minister, he strongly believes that "60 per cent" of Bihar's population is eager for change. "For years, a section of the populace voted for the BJP out of fear of Lalu's return. Conversely, Muslims supported Lalu out of fear of the BJP. They felt they had no alternative. This time, they do," Kishor added.

Addressing another query, he mentioned, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have no real stakes in the Bihar elections, which is why they limit themselves to occasional visits and slander." According to Kishor, the real burden of Bihar's plight lies with Lalu and Nitish, but national parties like the Congress and the BJP are also to blame for backing inefficient local leaders merely for a few extra Lok Sabha seats from the state.