BH-NITISH-PRASHANT (CORR)

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

on Tuesday night claimed that he had twice received

suggestions for inducting poll strategist Prashant Kishor into

his JD(U) by BJP national president Amit Shah.

Kumar, who also heads the JD(U), said this at an event

organized by a private news channel here while responding to

queries as to whether he looked at the poll strategist-

turned-politician as his political successor.

Kishor was inducted into the JD(U) in September last

year and elevated to the post of national vice-president weeks

later triggering speculation that he was being thought of by

Kumar as his political heir.

"He was not a newcomer for us. He had worked with us

in the 2015 assembly polls. For a brief period, he was busy

elsewhere. Please let it be known that none other than Amit

Shah had asked me twice to induct Kishor in the JD(U)," he

said.

"Prashant Kishor has been assigned the task of

attracting young talent, from all social segments, to politics

which was becoming inaccessible to those not born in political

families," he added.

"I have a lot of affection for Prashant Kishor. But

please, let us not talk in terms of successors. This is not a

monarchy," Kumar said.

He also said he had "a lot of love" for RJD leader

Tejashwi Yadav, his former deputy, "irrespective of the

acerbic language he uses against me".

"Even with Lalu, I only had political differences. It

never affected our personal relationships," he said.

He also stated that leaders like Tejashwi and former

UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav "ought to remember that

whenever they emerge victorious in an election, they are

blessed by the people for whatever promise they themselves

hold and not by virtue of their family background".

"Mahatma Gandhi considered politics without principles

a social sin. Dynasty politics, which I have always been

opposed to, is an example of politics without principles," he

quipped.