The BJP has jumped on to an extraordinary confession on defeat by Prashant Kishor in the ongoing Bengal assembly polls. This was after Mamata Banerjee’s campaign manager, Prashant Kishor, sensationally admitted that even the Trinamool Congress’ internal survey predicted a victory for the BJP in Bengal.
In the leaked audio, Kishor is heard saying, “The major problem is that we have to accept is that in the last 20 years or so, there has been a blatant effort or everything has been done to appease minorities. You take the example of Bengal. The single point philosophy of politics here has been that whosoever Muslims vote here, will form the government. The political thinking of everyone including the Left, the Congress and Didi (Mamata Banerjee) has been towards that (appeasing Muslims).”
He continued, “For the first time, Hindus are feeling that they are being given importance… That element is getting from the blatant misuse of minority politics. We can’t deny this fact.”
Sharing the audio, BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malviya tweeted, “Another candid admission by Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist – all that the Left, Congress and TMC ecosystem have done in the last 20 years is Muslim appeasement. Implication? It has resulted to resentment on ground. The speakers had not realised that the chat was public!”
Another candid admission by Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist – all that the Left, Congress and TMC ecosystem have done in the last 20 years is Muslim appeasement.
Implication? It has resulted to resentment on ground. The speakers had not realised that the chat was public! pic.twitter.com/2kyLsQXYyi
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 10, 2021
In another leaked audio, Kishor is heard saying that even the TMC’s internal survey showed that the BJP was winning the Bengal polls. He was heard saying, “Modi is popular here. There are one crore Hindi-speaking votes here. Dalits constitute 27% population and they stand rock solid with the BJP. Plus, there’s a polarisation.”
Talking about the TMC’s internal survey, he said, “We did a survey asking people who they will vote and which party will form the government. On the formation of the government, the BJP emerges on top predominantly even in our surveys.”
In a public chat on Club House, Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist concedes that even in TMC’s internal surveys, BJP is winning.
The vote is for Modi, polarisation is a reality, the SCs (27% of WB’s population), Matuas are all voting for the BJP!
BJP has cadre on ground. pic.twitter.com/3ToYuvWfRm
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 10, 2021
Kishor was speaking to a group of journalists on an online platform Clubhouse. The campaign manager of Mamata Banerjee has not questioned the authenticity of the leaked audios. He tweeted, “I am glad BJP is taking my chat more seriously than words of their own leaders!. They should show courage & share the full chat instead of getting excited with selective use of parts of it. I have said this before & repeating again – BJP will not to CROSS 100 in WB. Period.”
Meanwhile, the fourth phase of voting is underway in Bengal with four more stages of polling to go. The counting of votes will take place on 2 May. Experts say that Kishor’s sensational admission of defeat has the potential to rock Mamata Banerjee’s election campaign. Prashant Kishor had managed Narendra Modi’s election campaign when he ran the post of prime minister for the first time in 2014.