Rational Narrative is necessary for Opposition's Unity, says Prashant Kishor
Prashant Kishor, a
political strategist-turned-activist, claimed on Tuesday that the opposition
unity effort would only be successful electorally if it developed a “narrative”
and did not merely rely on “arithmetic”.
He refused to give
the rift in the NCP in Maharashtra and the CBI’s chargesheet against Bihar
Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav much political significance when speaking
to the media in the Samastipur area of Bihar.
“A combined
opposition can work only if it succeeds in creating a narrative against the
regime. The Janta Party experiment came on the back of the Emergency and Jayaprakash
Narayan’s mass movement. During VP Singh’s rule, the Bofors scandal had caught the
public imagination,” said the IPAC Founder.
He also added that
focusing just on “arithmetic” will have no impact on the public and that opposition
unity can only be advantageous if it establishes a coherent narrative against
the regime. Kishor also emphasized that losing some of the party’s membership won’t
likely result in the party losing its base of support.
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When he was asked
about the development in Maharashtra, Kishor said, “Let the people of the state
decide whether what has happened is relevant or not. Normally, a party never
loses its base support just because of some MLAs shifting to another party. I don’t
see any critical impact on NCP.”
“Politicians are
much too stoic to be swayed by the constant stream of breaking news. Similar to
how last year’s political unrest in Bihar had little effect on politics elsewhere,
Maharashtra’s development will not have any effects outside of that state.”
But he continued, “I
reiterate that by the time the state holds its subsequent assembly elections,
the Mahagathbandhan will not retain its existing makeup. Jitan Ram Manjhi, a
former chief minister, has pointed in such a direction. However, a significant change
is unlikely before the Lok Sabha elections.
“People do not
resent any politician facing legal action for alleged wrongdoing,” he stated in
reference to the new CBI chargesheet against Tejashwi Yadav, the deputy chief minister
of Bihar. However, it is starting to worry them that only those in the opposition
are apprehended while others who make peace with the current regime are let
off.
He also added, “It
is false to think that a crackdown by an investigating body will enable a
leader to profit politically by playing the victim card. People are not interested
in such initiatives.
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