Prashant Kishor, the political strategist who was expelled from the Janata Dal (United) by party chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, questioned on Tuesday whether the alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party will benefit the state.

Addressing a press conference in Patna, Kishor said Kumar has become subservient to the BJP leadership and does not hold the status of “Bihar ki Shaan” (the pride of Bihar), The New Indian Express reported. “Nitish Kumar is propagating Gandhi’s Seven Deadly Sins in every school of the state through posters but continues in politics as subservient to BJP politically,” Kishor alleged. “He should realise that 10 crore Biharis had made him leader, not BJP.”

The political strategist added that the state leadership has to take independent decisions in the interest of Bihar. Kishor said he will launch “Baat Bihar Ki” campaign to reach out to people who believe in the need for a new leadership to make Bihar one of top 10 states of India. He said campaign will start on February 20 and mobilise 1 crore youth in 100 days.

The political strategist claimed data showed very little progress in Bihar between 2005 and 2015 and challenged Kumar and his ministers to debate with him on this matter, NDTV reported. “While Bihar has made progress, we must also see things from the perspective that compared to other states, Bihar is lacking even today...Why is that?” he asked. “It stands where it was in 2005. Except Jharkhand, Bihar is still the most backward state in India. I keep repeating that Bihar was most backward in 2005, and is still the most backward when compared to other states.”

Kishor said there was no one to question the governance of Nitish Kumar government.

On his expulsion from the party, Kishor said there were ideological differences with the Bihar chief minister. “There have been many discussions between me and Nitish ji about the party’s ideology,” he added. “Nitish ji always told us that the party can never leave the ideals of Gandhi ji...But now the party is with those who are soft on Gandhi’s killer Nathuram Godse... For me Gandhi ji and Godse cannot go hand-in-hand.”

Kishor said he will always respect Kumar despite his decision to remove him from the party. “Nitish Kumar saw me as a son and I always saw him as a father,” the political strategist added.