Prashant Kishor predicts how many seats BJP will win in Bengal elections; says 'save this'

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.

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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Mamata Banerjee's meetings with Kishor and his involvement in the party as well as that of other IPAC officials has also miffed leaders in the past. Prashant Kishor had even attempted to meet Suvendu Adhikari earlier this month along with MP Saugata Roy. On December 18, after the massive jolt of Suvendu's resignation, Mamata held an emergency meeting of top TMC leaders like Firhad Hakim, Subrata Bakshi, Abhishek Banerjee along with Kishor.

READ | West Bengal Speaker Rejects Suvendu Adhikari's Resignation On Technical Grounds

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.

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.

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