JDU has nothing to do with Prashant Kishor's work, says Nitish Kumar

As his key strategist and the party's vice president Prashant Kishor is said to be working for the TMC in the coming Assembly polls in West Bengal, Bihar Chief Minister and JDU president Nitish Kumar on Saturday tried to downplay the issue.

Chief Minister Kumar, who was talking to media persons, said: "Prashant Kishor will himself speak about all this tomorrow during the party's national executive meeting. He joined our party only last year."

"Kishor is associated with an election strategy organisation too. Whomsoever he works for under the banner of his organisation, it has nothing to do with our party. JDU has no relation with his work," Chief Minister Kumar said.

"We have not received any complaint against Prashant Kishor. If we get a complaint, we will take a decision accordingly," he said.

Talking about his party not joining Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government at the Centre, he said: "We do not want a symbolic representation. Still, we are with Prime Minister Modi led NDA government. JDU has its own way of working for the people."

On Thursday, election strategist Kishor, who is credited with successfully strategising Modi's Prime Ministerial campaign in 2014 and some others later, met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and is believed to have agreed to work with her in the state.

It is said that Kishor, who last year joined JDU, was feeling sidelined due to the internal power struggle within the party.