'Don't think that will ever happen': Prashant Kishor dismisses TMC-Congress merger buzz

Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor has dismissed speculation about a possible merger between the Trinamool Congress and the Indian National Congress, saying he does not see any such possibility in West Bengal over the next decade.

Speaking to News Tak, Kishor said political parties are built over years and cannot be wiped out or absorbed overnight, even after suffering electoral setbacks.

'TMC became complacent'

Reflecting on the recent political developments in West Bengal, Kishor said one of the key reasons behind the TMC's setback was complacency.

He recalled that ahead of the 2021 Assembly election, when he was associated with the party, there was widespread belief that the BJP could defeat TMC after the ruling party's poor performance in local body and parliamentary elections.

"When you're under pressure, you work harder, try to improve and put in greater effort," he said.

This time, however, TMC had won panchayat elections comfortably and performed better than expected in the Lok Sabha polls, creating a sense that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would ultimately retain power.

"That made the TMC complacent, while the BJP came in much better prepared," Kishor said.

While acknowledging issues related to administration, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), deployment of central forces and controversies during counting, he maintained that complacency was a major factor behind the outcome.

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Defections don't define a party

Asked about reports of MLAs and MPs distancing themselves from the TMC, Kishor argued that the strength of a political party cannot be measured solely by defections.

"Internal party matters and ideology are not determined by MLAs or MPs," he said, citing the Congress as an example of a party that continued to exist despite several leaders leaving over the years.

Kishor noted that more than two crore voters in Bengal had backed the TMC and said those votes reflected support for Banerjee, her policies and her political programme.

"You cannot weigh those two crore votes against 10, 20, 25 or even 50 MLAs switching sides," he said, adding that many of those legislators had been elected on the TMC symbol.

'I completely reject that idea'

On speculation that the TMC could eventually merge with the Congress, Kishor was unequivocal.

"I don't think that will ever happen," he said.

He argued that major political parties are not created overnight and do not disappear overnight either.

"The TMC wasn't built overnight, and it won't disappear overnight either. The same applies to the Congress or the BJP," he said, pointing to the BJP's own journey from having just two MPs to becoming the country's dominant political force.

Kishor said that, based on his assessment, there was "no possibility" of a TMC-Congress merger in Bengal in the next five, seven or even ten years.

"I completely reject that idea," he said.

Why mergers are rare

Kishor distinguished between electoral alliances and formal mergers, saying parties often retain separate identities even when they work together politically.

He pointed to smaller allies of the BJP-led NDA, asking whether leaders such as Jitan Ram Manjhi, Upendra Kushwaha or Chirag Paswan would merge their parties into the BJP.

To explain his point, Kishor used a corporate analogy.

"Hindustan Unilever makes both Rin and Surf. When you buy either product, the money ultimately goes to Hindustan Unilever. Does that mean the company should merge both brands into one?" he said, arguing that there are strategic reasons for maintaining separate identities.

Unless a party reaches a point where it can no longer sustain itself, mergers remain highly unlikely, Kishor said, adding that even relatively large allies such as the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and the NCP have retained separate identities despite their alliances.

"A merger is a very significant step, and such decisions are extremely rare," he said.