Prashant Kishor appointed Nitish Kumar adviser

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who scripted the success of the Grand Secular Alliance, will now be playing an important role in the Bihar government as chief minister Nitish Kumar appointed him as his adviser for programme and policies. His appointment was announced officially on Friday.

Mr Kishor, who will hold a state Cabinet rank, is likely to assist and advise Mr Kumar on programmes related to development and good governance in the state. Sources said Mr Kumar, through this appointment, also wants to ensure that his “seven-point agenda” for development, which was designed by Mr Kishor ahead of the Assembly polls, is implemented on time and for this, “he (Mr Kumar) may ask his Cabinet to take his (Mr Kishor’s) advice on the issue from time to time”.

Mr Kishor, who had designed programmes like “Parch pe Charcha” and “Har Ghar Dastak” to counter the BJP during the Assembly elections in Bihar, is also likely to design several programmes on similar lines to build the state government’s image in public. His appointment is also being viewed as Mr Kumar’s strategy to keep him close so that his services could be used in future. RJD chief Lalu Yadav, while welcoming the move, claimed he was consulted by Mr Kumar before the decision. He said, “Prashant Kishor’s appointment will help shape Bihar’s future. He doesn’t have any lust for post and position. He is honest towards his work.” The announcement came amid his talks with former Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh. Sources claimed “their discussion was in the final stages and he had even agreed to work with him”.

Mr Kishor, who had quit a United Nations’ health experts job in Africa in 2011, had designed high-tech campaigns for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, leading the BJP towards a grand win.

Mr Kishor currently runs an organisation called Indian Political Action Committee with the help of MBAs and graduates from IIT.