Kishor had said the seat-sharing ratio between the BJP and the JD(U) in the 2020 Bihar elections should be similar to the 1:1.4 formula of the 2010 Assembly polls. (File) Kishor had said the seat-sharing ratio between the BJP and the JD(U) in the 2020 Bihar elections should be similar to the 1:1.4 formula of the 2010 Assembly polls. (File)

Hours after JD(U) leader Prashant Kishor said his party should contest more seats than the BJP in the Bihar Assembly polls due in 2020, backlash came not just from ally BJP, but also from Nitish Kumar’s party.

While Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi hit out sharply at “politicians whose main business is collating data and coining slogans” in a series of tweets, Nitish aide RCP Singh also frowned upon Kishor for making “untimely statements”.

“Rest assured, the top leadership of both parties (BJP and JDU) share an excellent understanding. And the seat-sharing formula for the Assembly polls will be arrived at with an even better understanding”, Singh, a former IAS officer and now Rajya Sabha MP, was quoted by PTI as saying. “Some people have a habit of giving statements over every issue. I do not have much to say about them but this is untimely. They should refrain from raising such matters prematurely,” Singh added.

Explained: Why Nitish Kumar needs Prashant Kishor

Sushil Kumar Modi’s criticism was more elaborate, though he did not name Kishor at all.

“The 2020 Assembly election will be fought under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cheif Minister Nitish Kumar. The top leadership of both parties will finalise seat-sharing. There is no problem there. But some people, who joined politics not due to an ideology but while running a company that collates data and coins slogans, are making statements that go against coalition dharma and benefit the Opposition,” Modi tweeted in Hindi.

“A person engaged in a for-profit business will first create a market for his services, think about the nation later,” Modi added.

2020 का विधानसभा चुनाव प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी और मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार के नेतृत्व में लड़ा जाना तय है। सीटों के तालमेल का निर्णय दोनों दलों का शीर्ष नेतृत्व समय पर करेगा। कोई समस्या नहीं है। लेकिन जो लोग किसी विचारधारा के तहत नहीं, बल्कि चुनावी डाटा जुटाने और नारे……. pic.twitter.com/aCIUmFkFgL — Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) December 30, 2019

Also targetting Kishor for his opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, the BJP leader said: “If opposing the citizenship law and creating confusion over NPR weakens the nation, strengthens India’s opponents, sullies the PM’s image abroad, leads to foreign investors pulling away and pushes the country towards political instability, who is benefitted by this negativity? Those whose company can sense a fat income here, are donning a politician’s garb and improving their business. But people are well-aware of such individuals.”

अगर नागरिकता कानून का विरोध करने और एनपीआर पर भ्रम फैलाने से देश कमजोर होता है, भारत विरोधी मजबूत होते हैं, विदेशों में प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी की छवि धूमिल होती है, विदेशी निवेशक हाथ खींचते हैं और देश राजनीतिक अस्थिरता की तरफ जाता है, तो ऐसी नकारात्मकता से किसका फायदा……… pic.twitter.com/4lGTZ2FWoh — Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) December 30, 2019

Kishor has been strident in his opposition to the CAA and NRC, and even Nitish has said the NRC exercise will not be carried out in Bihar.

JD(U) leader RCP Singh, who hit out at Kishor Monday, had criticised him for his tweets on the CAA too.

“Who are these people? What is their contribution to the organisational structure? How many new members have they made?” Singh had said when asked about the former poll strategist’s opposition to the legislation.

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