Prashant Kishor dares BJP over Bengal polls; states number below which netas should quit

A day after claiming that the BJP will not cross double digits in the West Bengal assembly polls, election strategist of the ruling Trinamool Congress Prashant Kishor on Tuesday challenged its leaders to say on record that they will quit their positions if the party fails to get 200 seats. He also clarified that if the saffron party does any better than what he has predicted, he would 'quit his work'.

"BJP will struggle to cross double digits and will get less than 100 seats in West Bengal. Will quit my work if they do," Kishor told PTI, reiterating his assessment.

This comes after the saffron party's poll in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya in a jibe at former JDU leader Kishor said that after the Bengal wave of BJP, "India will lose an election strategist." Ex-BJP chief Amit Shah has already announced that the saffron party will win over 200 seats in the next elections, forming its first government in the state.

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Prashant Kishor's prediction 

A day after BJP leader and Home Minister Amit Shah wrapped up his West Bengal visit, poll strategist of the Trinamool Congress Prashant Kishor has made a massive declaration. Taking to Twitter on Monday, Kishor said that BJP in Bengal polls will not "cross double-digits". In what seemed to be a challenge to the saffron party, Prashant Kishor said that if his analysis is proved wrong, he would "quit the space" and asked for people to 'save this tweet'. Notably in 2016, out of the 293 seats, BJP had won 3 seats, Congress won 44, CPM won 26 seats. This is also the first time Prashant Kishor has broken his silence amid the massive and high-pitched political developments in Bengal.

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Trinamool has faced its worst exodus so far as 10 netas along with heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari joined BJP in presence of Amit Shah. Reportedly, the leaders in TMC are miffed due to the presence of Prashant Kishor in each of their party meetings as well as the growing clout of CM Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee. Sources say that it was on the advice of Abhishek Banerjee that Mamata hired Prashant Kishor and his team IPAC for her re-election campaign in the 2021 polls. 

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Prashant Kishor's campaign for TMC

In the run-up to the West Bengal elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has started various digital campaigns.  A brainchild of poll strategist Prashant Kishor and his I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) team, sources said that TMC has started the groundwork for the polls as early as in 2019. Some of the campaigns that have been recently launched are 'Duare Sarkar' for doorstep delivery of government services, 'Mark Yourself safe from BJP', etc. 

Earlier the TMC had launched 'Didi Ke Bolo' campaign, also a brainchild of Kishor, about a year ago. In it, people with any grievances on any issue could contact the Chief Minister's office by dialling a helpline number or through WhatsApp and Facebook. It has also launched a campaign "Bangla r Gorbo Mamata" (Didi, the pride of Bengal) in March.

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West Bengal polls 

West Bengal assembly with 294 seats will go to polls in April-May 2021, Trinamool holds 222 seats. However, BJP has made major inroads in the state in the Lok Sabha elections winning 18 seats, and establishing itself as the major Opposition force in the state. Recently TMC trumped BJP in all 3 bypolls but the BJP is using its booth-level strategy, has placed its top leaders including Amit Shah and JP Nadda in the state for winning the upcoming elections.