NEW DELHI: A day after West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee took a swipe at the Congress ridiculing UPA, political strategist Prashant Kishor joined the band wagon to target the grand old party saying the idea and space that it represents is vital for strong opposition but its leadership is not the divine right of an individual, especially since it lost more than 90 per cent elections in last 10 years.
Slamming the Congress, Kishor took to Twitter and wrote, “The IDEA and SPACE that Congress represents is vital for a strong opposition. But Congress’ leadership is not the DIVINE RIGHT of an individual especially, when the party has lost more than 90% elections in the last 10 years. Let opposition leadership be decided Democratically.”
The IDEA and SPACE that #Congress represents is vital for a strong opposition. But Congress’ leadership is not the DIVINE RIGHT of an individual especially, when the party has lost more than 90% elections in last 10 years.
Let opposition leadership be decided Democratically.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 2, 2021
His remarks came after Banerjee on Wednesday, after her meeting with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, asserted that there exists no such collective as a United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
I also met with Shri @PawarSpeaks ji, today.
We discussed at length about the present state of this nation. We reiterated our interests in prioritising the well-being of our people. pic.twitter.com/J642Hhfx9W
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 1, 2021
“What is UPA? There is no UPA!” she quipped, as the media prodded her response to a hypothetical question on whether Pawar should be declared as the UPA chairman. “What will he do sitting there?” she retorted.
During her meeting with the civil society in Mumbai after meeting Pawar, Banerjee also took another swipe at the Congress leadership saying politics required continuous endeavour. “If you are going abroad to enjoy, how will people trust you,” she was reportedly heard saying.
The Congress was quick to react as several party leaders came out in support of party leadership.
Senior Congress leader, Kapil Sibal, took to twitter and wrote, “UPA. Without the Congress , UPA will be a body without a soul. Time to show opposition unity.”
UPA
Without the Congress , UPA will be a body without a soul
Time to show opposition unity
— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) December 2, 2021
Backed by Kishor’s I-PAC, TMC made a comeback to power in West Bengal assembly elections earlier this year.
This is not the first time that Kishor has targeted Congress. Following the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on October 3, Kishor had tweeted on October 8, “People looking for a quick, spontaneous revival of GOP led opposition based on #LakhimpurKheri incident are setting themselves up for a big disappointment. Unfortunately there are no quick fix solutions to the deep-rooted problems and structural weakness of the GOP.”
People looking for a quick, spontaneous revival of GOP led opposition based on #LakhimpurKheri incident are setting themselves up for a big disappoinment.
Unfortunately there are no quick fix solutions to the deep-rooted problems and structural weakness of GOP.
— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) October 8, 2021
Last month, during her four-day visit to Delhi, Banerjee made her stance clear when she did not meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. She also inducted several Congress leaders into her party fold, including Kirti Azad, former Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar.
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