Who is Abhinav Prakash, BJP youth leader, picked for a possible election debate against Rahul Gandhi?

Debates in Indian elections? They are unheard of. However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently proposed that his party chief Mallikarjun Kharge or he would like to hold a public debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM has not responded but Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president (BJYM) Tejasvi Surya has picked the youth wing’s vice president Abhinav Prakash for a possible discussion.

Surya had earlier questioned Gandhi’s challenge to Modi, saying the Congress leader was not even a PM candidate. Now accepting a proposal for a public debate between the two rival parties, the BJP youth president has nominated his second-in-command Prakash in an “enriching debate between a political scion (Rahul Gandhi) and a common youngster who has come up the hard way”.

But who is Raebarelli leader Abhinav Prakash and how did this debate drama unfold? Let’s take a closer look

Who is Abhinav Prakash?

The BJP yuva morcha vice president hails from the Gandhi family’s traditional turf, Uttar Pradesh’s Raebarelli. “He is not only a distinguished leader of our youth wing but also an articulate spokesman for the policies and reforms implemented by the government,” Surya, wrote to Gandhi in a letter shared on X.

The 30-year-old belongs to a Dalit community named Pasi, which makes up a significant proportion of over 30 per cent of the Scheduled Caste population in Raebareli where Rahul Gandhi is contesting in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Prakash, an assistant professor of economics at Delhi University’s Ramjas College, is an alumnus of Jawaharlal University. He has had various teaching stints at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), one of the country’s most prestigious commerce colleges. This has given him a “profound understanding of social, economic, and political dynamics” of the country, Surya wrote adding he will “enrich the debate significantly”.

Expressing gratitude towards Surya, the Raebarelli leader took to X saying he looks forward to Gandhi accepting the debate.

It remains to be seen if Gandhi accepts to confront Prakash in a potential debate.

“We eagerly anticipate your acceptance, setting the stage for what promises to be a historic debate between the scion of a political dynasty which has ruled India for the longest time since independence and a commoner representing the new India of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,” Surya wrote.

How the idea of the debate started?

Last week, anticipation peaked for a highly anticipated political debate as a consortium of retired judges and a journalist wrote to Gandhi and Modi.

Former Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur, former Delhi High Court Chief Justice AP Shah, and N Ram, former editor of The Hindu, appealed to the two politicians to engage in a debate on key issues hosted on a neutral and non-partisan platform.

“A public debate such as this would, therefore, set a great precedent, not just by educating the public, but also in projecting the true image of a healthy and vibrant democracy,” said the letter quoted in The Hindu.

Congress scion Rahul Gandhi took to X to announce his acceptance of the offer against PM Modi on Friday and said he expects the PM to participate, saying it “would be a positive initiative for the major parties to present their vision to the country from one platform for a healthy democracy”.

However, the BJP declined the debate invitation, stating that Rahul Gandhi did not have credentials even within the Congress nor was he the PM face for Opposition, and hence, the PM had no reason to debate with him.

Now will Gandhi take on Prakash remains to be seen.

_
With input from agencies_