Is Rahul Gandhi a national alternative to PM Modi? Here's what Prashant Kishor feels

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor has credited Rahul Gandhi's leadership for Congress's revival in the recent Lok Sabha polls but said that the Rae Bareli MP has miles to go before he can be considered a viable alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In an interview to India TV, Kishor said that Rahul deserves the credit for helping the Congress post a better-than-expected performance in the general election.

"Whenever a party sees a revival, its leader should get the credit. Congress contested under Rahul's leadership, so the credit for the party's performance should go to him," he said.

However, Kishor added that Rahul still has a long way before he can establish himself as a national leader.

"Just to put things in perspective, when former PM Indira Gandhi lost the Lok Sabha elections in 1977, Congress had won 154 seats. This time, Congress has won 99 under Rahul's leadership ... this shows that as a leader, Rahul has miles to go before we can say that he has arrived as a leader," he said.

When asked about the possibility of Rahul emerging as a national alternative to PM Modi, Prashant Kishor indicated that it might take some more time.

"Rahul has certainly established himself as a leader of the Congress and is unlikely to see any challenge within the party in the next 5 or 10 years. But to establish himself as a leader of the country, he has a long way to go. Winning 99 seats is one thing, and winning 250 to 260 seats is another," Kishor said.

Kishor also appreciated the opposition parties for working together as a "cohesive unit", adding that it is good for democracy.

"At least Parliament is having good debates. ..We should applaud their efforts in setting their own narrative in a coordinated manner," he said.

Opposition bloc INDIA, which includes Congress, defied the expectations of pollsters and put up a spirited performance that denied BJP a Lok Sabha majority in the 2024 general election. Congress won 99 seats, up from 52 in 2019, while BJP won 240 seats, down from 303 in 2019.