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Hitting back at the ruling JD(U) in Bihar, which has been targeting him over his fledgling Jan Suraaj Party's source of funding, former political strategist Prashant Kishor on Wednesday said money comes to him by virtue of his intellect.
Addressing a party function here, Kishor, who hopes to make an impact in the assembly polls due later this year, also took a veiled dig at the BJP, alleging all riches were going to Gujarat, the state to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah belongs.
"Some people are raising the question as to from where am I getting the money to run this party," said Kishor, in an obvious reference to JD(U) spokesperson and MLC Neeraj Kumar, who has alleged that the Jan Suraaj Party was funded by a "charitable" organisation based in Bengaluru.
The JD(U) leader has also claimed that Kishor has also "donated" Rs 50 lakh to the organisation, alleging that it appeared to be an instance of "tax fraud".
Kishor, who has worked for political leaders of various hues as a former election strategist, said, "Money comes to me by virtue of my intellect. Anybody blessed by Goddess Saraswati is sure to receive blessings from Goddess Laxmi as well." "I have never been an IAS or an IPS officer or in any other government service. I have never been a contractor, nor a member of Parliament or legislature. All that I have earned, I owe to my intellect (buddhi). My earnings shall ensure that money does not remain a problem for the youth of Bihar," said the 47-year-old, who has vowed to bear poll expenses of Jan Suraaj Party candidates who did not have enough money to contest an election.
With rhetorical flourish, Kishor added, "Would only the youth of Gujarat have all the money? Even though power is achieved with votes of youth of Bihar? This will not be tolerated any more. The youth of Bihar is not going to be a source of cheap labour for ever." Notably, Kishor's journey as a political strategist began in 2012 when he managed the assembly polls campaign of Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister.
Kishor also managed Modi's campaign for 2014 Lok Sabha polls, which was a spectacular success.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News Agency staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)