2024-02-18 17:21:13
New Delhi: There is a lot of excitement in the country regarding the Lok Sabha elections. All political parties including BJP and Congress are ready to enter the electoral battle. This time BJP has set a target of more than 400 seats. At the same time, Congress is trying to strengthen its weak ground through ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’. Rahul Gandhi himself is among the public. But even before the announcement of Lok Sabha election dates, Congress is facing setbacks one after another. While senior Congress leaders are leaving the party, the India alliance of opposition parties is also on the verge of collapse. Nitish Kumar and Jayant Chaudhary have joined the NDA, while Mamata Banerjee has announced to contest the elections alone in Bengal and Bhagwant Mann in Punjab. Which way will the people of the country move in the Lok Sabha elections? Will BJP come to power for the third time or will there be some major change? President of Jan Suraj Abhiyan and election strategist turned activist Prashant Kishore has given answers to some such questions in a program of Indian Express. Let us know what is Prashant Kishor’s view regarding Lok Sabha elections 2024.
1-If these leaders were stocks, who would you choose – Akhilesh Yadav, Aditya Thackeray, Chirag Paswan, KTR (KT Rama Rao), Jagan Reddy, Raghav Chadha, Omar Abdullah, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Abhishek Banerjee.
Prashant Kishor: They’re all potted plants, so none.
2-What is your choice?
Prashant Kishor: I am not able to choose any one politician as it would be biased and unfair. My aim is to be fair and neutral towards everyone. However, I can cite Bill Gates, who was asked who would take his place on Earth. He replied, ‘I don’t know who it will be, but I know that the one who will replace me is not in this field today. Because if he had been there, I would not have been able to leave him behind. It shows that great leaders of the future often emerge from unexpected places. Even outside politics, there are many people who have leadership abilities and the desire to bring positive change for the country. Therefore, the most important thing is that we put efforts into identifying and supporting such individuals who can work with honesty and dedication for the betterment of the country. After all, leadership ability is not limited to any position or field.
3-Is there any person who you think should be in politics?
Prashant Kishor- It’s hard to say because I can’t have a personal opinion. But anyone in politics who is willing to work hard and make long-term plans may have a good chance. Leadership ability is not limited to any particular field or position. There are many talented people even outside politics who have leadership qualities and the desire to bring positive change for the country.
4-What are the weaknesses of BJP?
Prashant Kishor: One of the biggest weaknesses of BJP is its excessive dependence on Prime Minister Modi. People’s question is who will replace PM Modi after him? If his charisma or popularity decreases in future, it may cause loss to the party.
5-What is one thing you have learned from Nitish Kumar?
Prashant Kishor: This sentence ‘Moving forward by taking advantage of weakness and achieving benefits’ tells one thing learned from Nitish Kumar. This means that they know how to take advantage of others by assessing situations, while hiding their weaknesses. They avoid direct confrontation and skillfully try to change situations in their favor.
6-Would you advise state parties to insist on caste census?
Prashant Kishor: State parties should consider advocating caste census, while national parties should refrain from doing so. Excessive emphasis on this issue led to serious consequences for the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
7-What is the secret of Naveen Patnaik’s long political innings?
Prashant Kishor: The biggest secret of Naveen Patnaik’s long political innings is to stay away from the public eye. Remaining invisible makes it challenging for opponents to attack.
8- If Mayawati asks you for advice, what advice would you give?
Prashant Kumar: My answer would have been that I am no longer in politics.
9-If your opinion is asked about Mayawati, what will you say?
Prashant Kishor: The last page of his politics has been written.
10-Which organization understands the pulse of the country better, BJP and RRS?
Prashant Kishor: When it comes to understanding the pulse of the nation, the RSS holds a stronger position than the BJP.
11-Who had the most challenging campaign among Stalin, Mamata, Kejriwal, Jagan, Uddhav, Nitish and Amarinder?
Prashant Kumar: Punjab’s election campaign in 2017 was quite challenging. Actually, it involved the fight between Amarinder Singh and the Congress Party against the growing power of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
12-What is the major difference between Modi of 2019 and Modi of 2024?
Prashant Kumar: An important difference between the Modi of 2019 and the Modi of 2024 is that in 2019 he aimed to raise the status of India, whereas in 2024 he is focusing on bringing spirituality in the country.
13-One thing that needs to change in Dravidian politics?
Prashant Kumar: Dravidian politics should reduce its reliance on caste and address the dominant influence of money in the political arena, which is more prevalent in northern India.
14- What is the prediction of seats for BJP, NDA?
Prashant Kishor: If I had to predict the number of seats for BJP and NDA, I would say that the BJP-led NDA is in advantage right now.
15-Is there anything that Prashant Kishor is afraid of?
Prashant Kishor: I am afraid to wake up in the morning and realize that my brain is not working.
About Ashok Upadhyay
Ashok Upadhyay “Senior Digital Content Producer at Navbharat Times.com. Passed out from Jagran Institute of Media and Management, Noida in 2013. Has 10 years of experience in journalism. Started his journey in journalism with NBT newspaper in 2013. Politics, Has experience of working on many beats including crime. Also worked at the central desk in Amar Ujala, Dehradun. Entered the world of digital media in the year 2020. Efforts are on to change itself with the changing nature of media.” Read More