New Delhi: Poll strategist Prashant Kishor ruffled the feathers of Congress once again after taking a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (December 2).
In a tweet, Kishor acknowledged that the ‘space represented by the Congress is vital for a strong Opposition’, adding that the party’s leadership is not the ‘right’ of one individual. “The IDEA and SPACE that #Congress represents is vital for a strong opposition. But Congress’ leadership is not the DIVINE RIGHT of an individual especially, when the party has lost more than 90% elections in last 10 years,” Kishor tweeted.
“Let opposition leadership be decided Democratically,” he added.
The IDEA and SPACE that #Congress represents is vital for a strong opposition. But Congress’ leadership is not the DIVINE RIGHT of an individual especially, when the party has lost more than 90% elections in last 10 years.
Let opposition leadership be decided Democratically.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 2, 2021
Kishor’s tweet comes a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said there was “no UPA anymore”, prompting ire from the Congress.
Defending Rahul Gandhi, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera wrote, “The individual being discussed here is pursuing his Divine Duty to struggle and save Indian democracy from the RSS.”
Taking a potshot at Kishor, Khera added, "A professional without ideological commitment is free to advice parties/individuals on how to contest elections but he cannot set the agenda of our politics."
The individual being discussed here is pursuing his Divine Duty to struggle and save Indian democracy from the RSS. A professional without ideological commitment is free to advice parties/individuals on how to contest elections but he cannot set the agenda of our politics https://t.co/48jDCdYkx8
— Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) December 2, 2021
Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress have been engaging in a war of words since many grand old party leaders defected to Banerjee’s party in the last few weeks. Recently, 12 out of 17 Congress MLAs in Meghalaya joined TMC.
Kishor has been employed by the TMC since the assembly poll in West Bengal earlier this year and has been working on expanding the party nationally. Kishor's remark comes in the wake of TMC rejecting Congress' leadership of the opposition in Parliament as well as questioning the party's might to take on BJP.
In October, Kishor had said that the BJP will remain at the centre of Indian politics and will not go anywhere for the "next many decades". He had also attacked Gandhi for thinking that people will throw away the BJP immediately.
(With agency inputs)
