Without ‘ideological alignment’, BJP cannot be defeated: Prashant Kishor on Opposition unity

“If you want to challenge the BJP, you have to understand its strengths – Hindutva, nationalism and welfarism. It is a three-level pillar. If you can’t breach at least two of these levels, then you can’t challenge the BJP,” he said in an interview with NDTV.

Elaborating on how the Opposition can counter the BJP, he said, “There has to be a coalition of ideologies to fight the Hindutva ideology. Gandhiwadi, Ambedkarites, socialists, communists…Ideology is very important but you can’t have blind faith on the basis of ideology.” He further added that till the time an “ideological alignment” does not happen, BJP cannot be defeated.

Kishor said that his ideology is that of Mahatma Gandhi’s and his Jan Suraaj Yatra in Bihar is “an attempt to revive the ideology of Gandhi’s Congress.”

“It is to change the destiny and discourse around Bihar,” he said about the Yatra. “Bihar is known for caste-ridden politics and many wrong reasons. It is time Bihar is known for what people are capable of,” he added.

Talking about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Kishor said its real test would be in the impact it has made on the ground.

“It is not only about walking. In six months of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, there was a lot of praise and also criticism. After six months of walking, you must see some difference? That yatra is to improve a party’s electoral fortunes. I have only been able to cover four districts. For me the yatra is not the mission but to understand the region,” he said.

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Talking about his fall-out with the Congress, Kishor said, “My goal was the reincarnation of the Congress. Their goal was to win the election. We did not agree on the way they wanted to implement my ideas.”