New Delhi:

Election strategist Prashant Kishor on Monday said he wanted to help form an opposition front that could defeat the BJP in 2024 and that it was “entirely possible” even if results of next month’s state polls – seen as a semi-final of sorts for the general elections – were unfavourable.

“It is possible to defeat the BJP in 2024. But is it possible to defeat BJP with the current opposition? Probably no… I want to help form an opposition front that can give a stronger fight in 2024,” Mr Kishor told NDTV in an interview.

He said the BJP had put up a very “formidable narrative” by combining the planks of Hindutva, nationalism and welfare and opposition parties had to outdo them on at least two of these accounts.

He also flagged the issue of around 200 Lok Sabha seats out of India’s 543 that see a largely two-way fight between the Congress and the BJP with the ruling party winning 95 per cent of these in the last two elections – an instant advantage of about 190 seats.

The 45-year-old who calls himself a “political aide” said, “Any party or leader that wants to defeat the BJP needs to have 5-10 year perspective. It cannot be done in five months.”

Mr Kishor said that his talks to team up with the Congress fell through after nearly five months of discussions following the West Bengal elections.

“For others, it looks natural that Prashant Kishor and Congress should come and work together. But both sides have to take a leap of faith to work together. That did not happen with the Congress,” he said.

“I admire the Congress. The idea and space it represents, without it, an effective opposition is not possible. However, that does not mean it will have to be the current Congress under the current leadership. Congress needs a revamp to defeat the BJP,” Mr Kishor said.

Defending his efforts to help the Trinamool Congress – seen by many as an operation by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party to supplant the Congress as the dominant opposition force – he said it was not “revenge”.

“I am too small a person to take revenge on a party that big. I do think that in our country, we need strong opposition. Congress as an idea should not be allowed be weakened. It is in the interest of democracy,” he said.

“Trinamool and I-PAC have entered into some kind of an arrangement after the Bengal elections to help the party expand its national footprint. On some occasions where they need my help, I am available,” he said to questions about engineering high-profile defections from the Congress to the Trinamool in recent months.