Kolkata: Political strategist Prashant Kishor said Monday that the BJP will suffer a crushing defeat in the upcoming Assembly elections. Prashant Kishor’s comments, in the backdrop of the massive exodus of Trinamool Congress leaders to the Bharatiya Janata Party assume significance. More than 35 leaders including MLAs and former MPs shifted allegiance Saturday to the BJP at a rally attended by Home Minister Amit Shah. In spite of this turn of events, Kishor has said that the BJP will struggle to cross the double-digit figures in the West Bengal elections.
“For all the hype AMPLIFIED by a section of supportive media, in reality BJP will struggle to CROSS DOUBLE DIGITS in West Bengal,” Kishor tweeted. He said that he would ‘quit this space’ if proven wrong.
See link: https://twitter.com/PrashantKishor/status/1340882902628749317
Kishor’s tweet comes after several leaders, including TMC heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, defected to the BJP. Leaders from the ruling TMC, Left parties, and the Congress joined the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections slated for 2021.
The BJP intends to end the TMC government’s rule in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s TMC came to power ending the 34-year rule of the Left Front in West Bengal. Even though, the TMC regained power in the 2016 election, the BJP is hoping to usurp them in the 2021 Assembly elections. Winning of 18 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections has given BJP hope that it can form a government in the state.
Kishor heads the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC). He has worked for a number of parties including the BJP and has contributed to significant wins. His first major campaign was for then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in 2011. In 2014, his campaign group called the ‘Citizens for Accountable Governance’ led Modi and the BJP to an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha elections.