December 21, 2020 11:11:32 am
Prashant Kishor
Amid the BJP’s high-pitched political campaign in West Bengal, election strategist Prashant Kishor said on Monday that the saffron party “will struggle to cross double digits” in the state. Kishor, who has been caught by the TMC government led by Mamata Banerjee, tweeted: “If BJP does better, I must leave this space.” Kishor also said that the hype surrounding BJP has been “amplified by a supportive media section.”
Kishor’s tweet comes a day later Interior Minister Amit Shah’s campaign in the state. Seeking a 5-year term for the BJP, Shah promised to turn the state into Sonar Bangla. He also claimed that his party would form the next government with 200 seats: there are 294 seats in the state assembly.
On Saturday, Shah welcomed Trinamool defectors in the BJP fold, setting the tone for a bitter election campaign in Bengal. He pointed at Didi with phrases like “this is just the beginning”, “you’ll be alone” by the time the polls start. At a public meeting in Midnapore, the stronghold of former state transportation minister Suvendu Adhikari, who resigned from Trinamool and joined the BJP along with Bardhaman Purba MP Sunil Kumar Mondal, nine MLAs, and several others.
Despite all the AMPLIFIED hype by a supporting media section, in reality BJP will have a hard time CROSSING DOUBLE DIGITS in #West Bengal
PS: Please save this tweet and if BJP does better, I must get out of this space!
– Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 21, 2020
“This time the people want a change to stop the infiltration of Bangladesh, end the political violence in Bengal, stop the practice of extortion and end the dadagiri of bhatija”, Shah said Sunday, referring to the Chief Minister’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.
With the BJP leaving nothing to chance, the run-up to the 2021 elections will see Mamata holding more than 600 rallies and meetings. According to sources, Banerjee is trying hold a joint rally of anti-BJP leaders in Kolkata in January, similar to public gatherings in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She may bring together Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Stalin, PCN leader Sharad Pawar and other regional leaders for the rally.
Prashant Kishor had previously campaigned for the BJP in the run-up to the 2014 elections. He later joined Bihar’s chief minister and JD (U) leader Nitish Kumar and was appointed as the party’s vice chairman. He was expelled from JD (U) for “indiscipline” in January of this year.
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