Patna, July 30: Nitish Kumar's switch from the Grand Alliance to the National Democratic Alliance has brought the curtain down on strategist Prashant Kishor's innings as adviser to the chief minister.

The Grand Alliance was Kishor's idea and he enjoyed the confidence of RJD chief Lalu Prasad. After the 2015 victory, Kishor was named advisor and entrusted with the Bihar Vikas Mission, the vehicle to implement the government's seven resolves.

But an official said in case of a new government, posts of advisors cease to exist unless re-notified. So with the new NDA government, Kishor's name has gone, at least from Bihar's official files.

"Even though the chief minister is the same, this is a change of government; and under these circumstances, posts like advisors cease to exist unless it is notified," an official said on Kishor's status.

Considering BJP leaders like Sushil Kumar Modi, while in opposition, had attacked Kishor's continuation as advisor when he was working for the Congress in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, it looks unlikely that the strategist will find a place in Bihar.

Kishor's role as advisor came with the facilities of a cabinet minister in the Bihar Vikas Mission. "Apart from attending a few initial meetings, Kishor had remained aloof from the mission. He did not attend the mission's last governing body meet on January 10 this year," said an official.

His interest after the Bihar victory lay in Uttar Pradesh - Kishor developed proximity to Rahul Gandhi and got the Congress and Samajwadi Party to form an alliance in the neighbouring state. He also worked for Captain Amarinder Singh in Punjab. His reputation as a political strategist took a hit in Uttar Pradesh as the alliance performed disastrously and he did not get credit for the Punjab victory.

Kishor came to Bihar and met Nitish as recent as April. A close associate of Kishor said: "By that time he had some inkling about Nitish's decision to quit the alliance. Nitish going with the BJP would have been an embarrassment for him. Already, a group of top BJP leaders are against him and that is why he had to leave Narendra Modi for whom he worked in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls."

Kishor is not the only side-effect of Nitish's switch. The job of Sudhir Kumar, retired IAS officer and close Lalu Prasad aide, as advisor to the minister of road construction is also gone.