Opposition missed multiple chances to stop BJP: Prashant Kishor
What's the story
Election strategist Prashant Kishor said on Sunday that the opposition had multiple chances to stop the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, it failed to do so due to laziness and misplaced strategies. Comparing the situation to a fielder dropping a catch in a cricket match, he said, "If you keep dropping catches, the batter will score a century, especially if he is a good batter."
Perception illusion
Kishor refutes perception of BJP's unstoppable progress
Kishor also dismissed the notion of the BJP's "unstoppable" advancement under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "perception" and a "big illusion." He emphasized that, despite their apparent dominance, neither the BJP nor PM Modi are "invincible." As a result, Kishor expressed disappointment in the opposition, particularly the Congress, for not capitalizing on opportunities when the BJP was at its weakest. He pointed out that the opposition had three distinct and realistic chances of stopping the BJP juggernaut.
Missed chances
Kishor criticizes opposition for missed opportunities
He highlighted instances in 2015 and 2016 when the BJP lost several assembly elections but was allowed to recover by the opposition. Kishor also pointed out two other election cycles where the opposition failed to seize opportunities. In March 2017, four months after demonetization, the BJP had a significant victory in Uttar Pradesh but barely avoided defeat in Gujarat. Then, in December 2018, months before 2019 general elections, the BJP was defeated by Congress in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
COVID impact
Kishor's observations on BJP's performance post-COVID outbreak
The next instance was after the COVID outbreak in 2020, when the BJP lost in West Bengal to the Trinamool Congress in April-May 2021. "However, opposition leaders sat inside their homes, allowing the PM to make a comeback," Kishor said. In the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the BJP would "feel the heat" only if the Congress-led opposition ensures that it loses at least 100 seats in its north and west India strongholds, he added.