Get ready!: Delhi election dates out, Prashant Kishor blows AAP bugle; warns opponents

The Delhi Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on February 8 while results will be announced on February 11, the Election Commission of India said on Monday. Three parties that are in the fray in these elections are the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, the BJP, and the Congress.

In December, Kejriwal had roped in political strategist and JDU leader Prashant Kishor who runs advocacy group I-PAC for an image makeover. As the dates for the polls were announced, Kishor took to Twitter and exuded confidence in the AAP and said, "Get ready to see the power of people on Tuesday, Feb 11th!" 

'The power of people...' 

The AAP had secured 67 out of 70 assembly seats in Delhi in the last assembly elections in 2014. After signing the deal with Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), on social media platforms, Kejriwal had said, "Happy to share that IPAC is coming on-board with us. Welcome aboard!" Kejriwal also launched his election campaign with the slogan, 'Acche beete 5 saal, Lage raho Kejriwal' which is designed by I-PAC. 

Kishor worked with the Congress in 2017 for Punjab and Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. He wrote a successful story in Punjab in helping the Congress come back to power after two successive electoral losses. Currently, Kishor is the national vice-president of the JD(U) led by Nitish Kumar. JD(U) is an ally of the BJP at Centre as well in Bihar, though that hasn't stopped Kishor from making big statements about how the JD(U) should contest more seats than BJP in the Bihar elections scheduled for later this year.

READ | CM Nitish's close confidant snubs Prashant Kishor- 'none allowed to speak on seat-sharing'

READ | We don't recognize these "Bayan Bahadurs": Nand Kishore Yadav slams Prashant Kishor

Prashant Kishor assisting Mamata Banerjee

The political advocacy group also helped in electioneering campaign of Narendra Modi in 2014 when he was BJP's prime ministerial candidate. I-PAC is currently working on the Trinamool Congress' re-election campaign for the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls to aid Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's bid for a third consecutive term. Kishor has been lately in the news over his criticism of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which his party JD(U) supported in Parliament.

The BJP was dealt a setback in Jharkhand following the Narendra Modi government's 2019 Lok Sabha election win, while AAP has been on a freebie spree, working towards citizens welfare in areas such as water, electricity, education and particularly, transport. The Congress, which was in power in the state for 15 years before being ousted by AAP, is likely to announce its candidate list on 10 January.

READ | Prashant Kishor reminds Bihar's Dy CM of BJP's 2015 defeat amid tussle over seat sharing

READ | Sushil Modi greets Nitish Kumar on New Year amid seat-sharing dispute with Prashant Kishor