Political strategist Prashant Kishor on Thursday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will remain at the centre of Indian politics and “is not going anywhere” for many decades, PTI reported.
At a private meeting in Goa, Kishor criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for believing that it was just a matter of time before Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be defeated.
“Once you secure 30% plus votes at the India level, you are not going away in a hurry,” Kishor said. “So, do not ever get into this trap that people are getting angry and they will throw away [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi.”
The political strategist, who is the chief of the Indian Political Action Committee, said that while Modi may be defeated in an election, the BJP will retain significance for decades to come.
“That is where the problem lies with Rahul Gandhi probably,” Kishor said. “He thinks it’s just a matter of time that people will throw him [Modi] away. That is not happening.”
He added that political parties cannot put in place a strategy to defeat Modi unless they “examine, understand and take cognisance of” his strengths, according to NDTV.
The Indian Political Action Committee chief is currently working on the Trinamool Congress’ campaign in Goa, where Assembly elections are scheduled to be held early next year.
Reacting to Kishor’s remarks, BJP spokesperson Ajay Sehrawat said that Home Minister Amit Shah had made a similar declaration earlier.
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