'Not thief like others': Prashant Kishor says he earned Rs 241 crore in three years, paid GST & Income Tax

Prashant Kishor

Prashant Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraaj Party and well-known political strategist, has publicly disclosed his income, asserting that every rupee he earned was accounted for and under government scrutiny. He said in a press conference, “Jan Suraaj Party’s funding is transparent and clean. I worked as a consultant and charged fees for my work. I earned Rs 241 crore in three years, paid Rs 31 crore as GST and Rs 20 crore as Income Tax, and donated Rs 98.5 crore to Jan Suraaj Party through cheque.” Kishor said he is not 'thief' like others and can speak about his income and where was it has been spent.

Kishor, who has often been compared to politicians with tainted records, dismissed such associations outright. “I have not come to Bihar to make money. Every rupee I have earned is accounted for under government scrutiny. I will stay in Bihar for the next 10 years until the system changes,” he said while underlining his long-term commitment to the state.

Kishor said he never charged any fee for giving advice to political parties, institutions or a company but when he entered politics, he changed his approach to earn money for society.

The Jan Suraaj Party chief emphasised that his entry into active politics was driven by a determination to reform Bihar. “Whatever I earn from my intellect, I want to spend on the state’s development,” he asserted, while also adding, “I have come with a clear vision, and there will be no deviation. I planned meticulously before entering politics, so nobody should assume I will leave the state. I stand by my commitment to the people of Bihar.”

Responding to questions raised by BJP MP Dr Sanjay Jaiswal regarding the party’s finances, Kishor clarified that apart from his contributions, the Jan Suraaj Party has also received donations from other sources. “Before seeking assistance, you start with yourself. I have done nothing wrong despite questions about my sources of income. I want to clarify that there is no wrongdoing in Jan Suraaj Party,” he maintained.

He further revealed details of a consultancy assignment that paid him substantial fees. “I even received Rs 11 crore from a company seeking my consultancy for a product launch,” he noted, while simultaneously challenging the Centre. “I am ready to face inquiry. Let the ED or any other agency probe my earnings.”

Taking a hard stance against both the ruling NDA and the opposition Grand Alliance in Bihar, Kishor alleged rampant corruption. “I would rather die than side with corrupt politicians,” he declared, accusing both the BJP-JD(U)-led NDA and the RJD-Congress-led Grand Alliance of misusing public money.

Meanwhile, Kishor also trained his guns on JD(U) minister Ashok Choudhary, warning of fresh revelations if the latter did not retract his legal action. “I have given a week for him to withdraw his Rs 100 crore legal notice and apologise publicly. If he fails, I will reveal his benami property worth Rs 500 crore,” he said.

Adding to his allegations, Kishor called on the Vaibhav Vikas Trust to come clean regarding property acquisitions worth Rs 100 crore in Patna over the past one and a half years. He demanded explanations from trustee members, including retired IAS officer Jiya Lal Arya, Anita Kunal (wife of former IPS Kishore Kunal), and the mother-in-law of incumbent chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit, about the source of funds used for the purchases.