After Bihar poll drubbing, Prashant Kishor opts for ashram life till next polls

NEW DELHI: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Wednesday said that he had moved to an ashram on the outskirts of Patna till the next assembly polls in Bihar.While talking to reporters in Bihar's Darbhanga, PK said, "Last night, I shifted out of the place in Patna where I had been living. The Bihar Navnirman Ashram, situated close to IIT-Patna, shall be my abode till the next assembly polls when the Jan Suraaj Party will, hopefully, make an impact."This comes months after the poll strategist-turned-politician launched his party before the Bihar assembly polls, but failed to win a single seat.Kishor had until now been operating from 'Sheikhpura House', a sprawling bungalow near Patna airport owned by the family of party national president and former BJP MP Uday Singh.Singh belongs to one of the prominent families of Bihar. NK Singh is a former Rajya Sabha MP and former chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, while their late mother, Madhuri Singh, was a senior Congress leader and multiple-term MP from Purnea.PK also targeted former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar after his son was inducted into the Bihar cabinet as health minister."The one who got elected as chief minister after the elections was unable to stop migration caused by economic distress. Instead, he chose to migrate himself, but not before ensuring that his son gets a foothold," he said.He urged voters in Bihar to prioritise their own interests rather than vote on the basis of caste, religion, or monetary inducements."The people of Bihar must think about the future of their own children while casting votes. They should not get swayed by leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar or Lalu Prasad, nor should they sell their votes for Rs 10,000," he said.The remark was seen as a reference to the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana launched ahead of the assembly elections, under which over 1.5 crore women received Rs 10,000 each.PK also warned of possible economic challenges arising from the situation in West Asia, claiming that fuel prices could rise sharply and fertiliser shortages may worsen."People may witness an increase in petrol and diesel prices by up to Rs 10 per litre. We may also face a major fertiliser crisis. Till now, farmers complained of black marketing; now they may face outright unavailability," he said.