Prashant Kishor hints that he is being aided by former clients
Patna, Oct 26: Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Thursday hinted that he was receiving financial assistance for his 'Jan Suraaj campaign' in Bihar from his former clients, many of whom were now chief ministers of their respective states.
He made the candid disclosure at a press conference in Valmiki Nagar, a picturesque but remote forest reserve situated along the Indo-Nepal border, about 300 kms from the Bihar capital.
Kishor has been on a 'padayatra' since October 2 and intends to cover 3,500 km on foot, touching every nook and corner of his home state before his campaign evolves into a full fledged political party.
He was asked about the source of funding for his drive which is a matter of much speculation. JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, whose party had hired Kishor's services long back, recently expressed apprehensions that the IPAC founder might be getting funds from the BJP, which lost power in Bihar two months ago following Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's abrupt exit from the NDA.
"In the last one decade, I offered my services for at least 10 polls and was successful in all but one," recalled Kishor, who counts the UP assembly polls of 2017, in which his advices were allegedly ignored, as his only failure.
"At least six people I helped win are chief ministers now. I did not take money from them, though the media may not believe me. But now I am seeking their help for the experiment we are carrying out in Bihar," said Kishor, who first shot to fame in 2014 when he managed the Lok Sabha election campaign of Narendra Modi.
The IPAC founder announced his retirement from professional political consultancy last year after he helped Mamata Banerjee pull off a sensational victory in West Bengal.
His other former clients include Arvind Kejriwal, M K Stalin and Jagan Mohan Reddy, chief ministers of Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh respectively, besides Amarinder Singh, whom he had helped win Punjab for the Congress.
He asserted, "I have not taken a single rupee from anyone in Bihar" and underscored that his campaign was bereft of expenses like helicopter rides, erecting huge daises, putting out advertisements and ferrying crowds.
"We are not yet a political party. But once we get there, a mere Rs 100 donation from two crore families across Bihar will help us raise an amount sufficient to put up a good fight at the hustings", said the 45 years old who has ruled out the possibility of joining hands with any of the established parties.
Kishor, who evidently enjoys taking digs at Nitish Kumar and the latter's current ally Lalu Prasad, both of whom had benefitted from his services when they had first joined hands in 2015, also remarked "the JD(U) and the RJD (Prasad's party) have never been able to win Bihar on their own".
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
