Political strategist Prashant Kishor has proposed that if the Congress fails to achieve desired results in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi should contemplate stepping down.
During an interaction with PTI editors, Kishor remarked that Gandhi, essentially, has been the driving force behind the party but hasn't been able to yield positive outcomes in the past decade. He noted the apparent contradiction where Gandhi hasn't been able to relinquish control or allow someone else to lead despite the lack of success.
"This according to me is also anti-democratic," said Kishor, suggesting that after a decade of similar efforts without fruition, it might be beneficial for Gandhi to take a hiatus and let someone else take the reins for a five-year term, similar to Sonia Gandhi's decision to step back in 1991 and let PV Narasimha Rao take charge in 1991.
"When you are doing the same work for the last 10 years without any success, then there is no harm in taking a break... You should allow someone else to do it for five years. Your mother did it".
Kishor highlighted the importance of recognising one's shortcomings and seeking assistance, a trait he believes good leaders possess, contrasting it with what he perceives as Gandhi's reluctance to acknowledge the need for help.
"A key attribute of good leaders the world over is that they know what they lack and actively look to fill those gaps," he said. "But it seems to Rahul Gandhi that he knows everything. Nobody can help you if you do not recognise the need for help. He believes he needs someone who can execute what he thinks is right. It is not possible," asserted the political strategist.
He referred to Gandhi's previous statement about stepping down after the 2019 election defeat, pointing out the disparity between his words and actions since then. Kishor highlighted a prevailing sentiment among Congress leaders that decisions often require Gandhi's approval, indicating a concentration of power in his hands. "
"Many Congress leaders will admit privately that they cannot take any decision in the party, even about a single seat or seat sharing with alliance partners "unless they get the approval from xyz," he said.
However, Kishor also mentioned another perspective among Congress members, suggesting that some wished Gandhi would take more decisive action. He emphasised the importance of the Congress as an institution beyond any individual, urging Gandhi not to insist on being the sole deliverer of success despite repeated failures.
Refuting the assertion made by the former Congress president regarding his party's poll setbacks being attributed to institutions such as the Election Commission, judiciary, and media being "compromised", he acknowledged a partial validity to this claim but emphasised its incompleteness. He highlighted the significant decline of the Congress from 206 seats to 44 in the 2014 elections during its governance period, a time when the BJP held minimal sway over these institutions.
Kishor dismissed claims of the Congress's terminal decline, asserting that the party's significance transcends mere election victories and that it has a history of reinventing itself. As an example, he referenced Sonia Gandhi's leadership in the party's resurgence in 2004.
The ace strategist also addressed his disagreements with the Congress's approach to implementing his revival plan, particularly regarding the proposed Empowered Action Group, which he deemed unconstitutional for the party's operations.
Finally, Kishor rejected the idea of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) replacing the Congress, citing its lack of ideological and institutional grounding beyond specific states.
"There is no such possibility. Its weakness that I see is that it has no ideological or institutional rooting," he noted.
He acknowledged the BJP's criticism of "pariwaad" (dynastic politics) but noted that this issue might become relevant for them as well in the future.
"Becoming a leader because of one's surname might have been an advantage in the post-independence era but is a liability now," he commented. "Be it Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav or Tejashwi Yadav. Their respective parties may have accepted them as their leader but people have not. Has Akhilesh Yadav been able to lead Samajwadi Party to victory," he questioned.
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