Price rise and jobs are two key issues on which opposition parties should take on Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming elections, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said here on Wednesday.
While there are other issues too such as civil liberties and weakening of institutions, the current government can be defeated on how it failed to rein in price rise and fell short on its promise of creating a large number of jobs, he said, after addressing students on Citizen Engagement in Policymaking at the Indian School of Business (ISB) here.
Responding to queries from the students, Mr. O’Brien said the opposition had a strategy in place though there is a difference of opinion among the parties on the planks on which the election is to be fought. “Nothing wrong [in parties taking different positions],” but price rise and jobs are main issues, he said, adding the Indian National Congress ought to have also made jobs the focus of its Bharat Jodo Yatra.
On opposition parties yet to project a leader as its Prime Ministerial face, the Rajya Sabha MP and well known former quiz master said “who says we need to have one face.” The chances of opposition are better if the opposition parties ruling in various States take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by highlighting their achievements and development works. “The aggregate of State elections becomes national elections, the parties don’t need to come together,” he said.
ISB in a release said Mr. O’Brien stressed the need to create platforms where ideas can be exchanged for better functioning of democracy. He encouraged the students to actively engage with lawmakers. The interactive session was organised as part of ISB’s Business and Policy Dialogue.
