AICC Goa in-charge hits back at Prashant Kishor; affirms 'Congress isn't going anywhere'

On Thursday, Congress hit back at poll strategist Prashant Kishor's prediction that BJP will remain a dominant force in Indian politics for many decades. Disagreeing with Kishor's argument, AICC Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao maintained that all parties need to exist in a democracy. In a dig at the IPAC founder, he affirmed that the Congress party will also remain relevant in Indian politics contrary to the belief of the former. At present, he is reportedly helping TMC to make inroads in Goa, a move that Congress believes is antithetical to opposition unity. 

Prashant Kishor's dampener for Congress

Speaking at an event in the Museum of Goa, Kishor disagreed with the opposition's claim that the Narendra Modi-led government will be voted out of power in 2024 merely due to anti-incumbency. To buttress his point, he highlighted the difference in people's approach towards the rise in fuel prices as compared to the UPA government era. According to him, it was difficult to envisage the saffron party fading away easily as it had crossed the 30 per cent vote share at the national level. On this occasion, he asserted that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi was mistaken in believing that people will vote against BJP in due course of time. 

Prashant Kishor remarked, "You go and talk to any Congress leader or regional leader and they say, it is just a matter of time. People are getting fed up. There is anti-incumbency. People will throw him out. I doubt. It is not happening. Imagine this is a country where a 50 paisa increase in petrol and diesel prices were put on hold for an election for 5-6 months. In the same country, diesel prices have risen by Rs.70 and yet there is no discontent against the man. There is something deeper that you and I are not getting." 

He added, "BJP is going to be the Centre of the Indian polity whether they win or they lose. Like it was first 40 years for Congress, BJP is going nowhere. Once you secure 30% plus vote at India level, you are not going away in a hurry. You do not ever get into this trap that people are getting angry and that they will throw away Modi. Maybe they will throw away Modi. But BJP is not going anywhere. They are going to be here. You have fight it out for next many decades. Its not going in a hurry. That's where the problem lies with Rahul Gandhi probably. He thinks its just a matter of time before people thrown him away. It is not happening."