Prashant Kishor’s team is playing a key role in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.
With only two months to go before the elections in Bengal, Election Strategist Prashant Kishor’s team is playing a key role for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, helping him address the BJP challenge. Amid speculation that it also has a say in the selection of candidates, the Indian Political Action Committee or IPAC says it is acting as a force multiplier for the ruling party, helping it identify cracks in its armor, filling gaps. in his strategy and getting votes that he had walked away.
The third item on the list is important, as the BJP is rapidly expanding its presence in the tribal areas of the state. A portion of the programmed caste, programmed tribe and Adivasi votes in the western and northern parts of the state had moved to the BJP in 2019, earning it a share of the 18 parliamentary seats it won in the state.
The role of the IPAC is to ensure that the Trinamool message for these segments is amplified. Much of this is done through outreach programs, where district and mid-level leaders can interact with the Chief Minister.
In one such program organized by IPAC to reach out to the party’s scheduled caste and tribal leaders, Mamata Banerjee had said: “I appeal to my brothers from the SC / ST and the Adivasi community. They (the BJP) have Many won their seats. They have won in Junglemahal and North Bengal. They have won so many MPs. Have they given you anything?
The event set the tone for the message Trinamool wanted to send.
Mamata Banerjee’s flagship program “Duarey Sarkar” has distributed over 10 lakhs of caste certificates to registered castes and tribes in one month. This initiative has to get to the ground and IPAC enters the picture here, say Trinamool leaders.
The IPAC is working closely with the party’s SC / ST cell leaders to regain the programmed caste votes that the BJP has been seeking.
Trinamool cell chairman for programmed castes, Dr. Tapas Mandal, said: “When a political representative addresses the people, he may not get the whole truth. But when an independent agency addresses the people, we will obtain unbiased information. “
The IPAC is also helping the party to oppose the BJP blitz of ads and videos on social media and WhatsApp. From providing feedback from the field to regular updates on voter concerns, he also keeps top party leaders up to date. Party leaders say Mamata Banerjee is also aware that the relentless attack by the BJP troll army against her is helping to polarize the state.
IPAC teams are also educating district leaders on the dangers of social media mistakes. Booth level workers are advised to attend training sessions on weekends to familiarize themselves with the party’s social media strategy.
IPAC is also helping Trinamool run a targeted campaign.
For example, on a block in Kalyani, where Trinamool has to reclaim land, a key problem area was pending deeds for residents. That feedback was shared with the party and the local leadership has managed to solve the problem.
Now, the message that the government has been helpful in a predominantly programmed caste area is spreading by word of mouth.
“We have brought the ‘Duarey Sarkar’ program to people’s doorsteps. People here have been waiting for the land certificates for years. Recently, Mamata Banerjee had given these people her word and now they have handed them land ownership documents. land, “Pankaj Singh, Kalyani President of Block, Trinamool Congress told NDTV.
Arjun Datta, who works with IPAC, said: “We are force multipliers. The party leadership, the grassroots leaders of the party are the individuals who will go to the communities and convince people to support the Chief Minister and the program of the match”.
However, there are also critics of Mr. Kishor. Those who have been expelled from the party like Baishali Dalmiya say that Prashant Kishor has not been able to do what he set out to do.
Leaders like Suvendu Adhikari have also blamed him for his departure, a stance the party has vehemently opposed. Suvendu Adhikari had “plans to join the BJP with 35 MLA and try to become the prime minister,” said the party deputy and his youth wing chief Abhishek Banerjee.
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