Prashant Kishor vows to end Bihar liquor ban within an hour if elected

Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor has said that his new political party would scrap the ban on liquor “within an hour” if elected to power in Bihar.
Speaking to the media ahead of the launch of his party, Jan Suraaj, on October 2, the former poll strategist said that his new party would “scrap the ban on liquor within an hour of forming its government”.
“The prohibition law is nothing but a dhakosla (sham) on the part of Nitish Kumar,” he said.
Kishore also criticised the current prohibition as ineffective, claiming that it has led to illegal home deliveries of alcohol and deprived the state of Rs 20,000 crore in potential excise revenue.
The 47-year-old leader also accused politicians and bureaucrats of benefiting from the illegal liquor trade.
Kishore further added that he is a believer in “kabiliyat ki rajniti (politics of merit)” and would not shy away from speaking against prohibition “like other parties which fear that doing so may cost them votes of women”.
Kishor said he saw Nitish Kumar and his predecessor Lalu Prasad as responsible for Bihar’s plight, though Congress and BJP too shared the blame.
Speaking to the media, Kishore confirmed that his political party, Jan Suraaj, which is set to be launched on October 2, will contest all 243 seats in the Bihar Assembly polls due next year.
“Let me make it clear that Jan Suraaj will contest all 243 seats, not one less”, said Kishor, who has in his earlier avatar handled poll campaigns of leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Aam Aadmi Party founder Arvind Kejriwal.