Prashant Kishore in ‘Aap Ki Adalat’.
New Delhi: Election strategist turned political activist Prashant Kishor predicted a “huge” lead for Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA in this year’s Lok Sabha elections, but added that ‘2 months is a long time in politics.’
While answering questions in Rajat Sharma’s popular show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ to be aired on India TV tonight at 10 pm, Prashant Kishore said, “I usually do not predict who will get how many seats, but my assessment so far is This is that BJP led NDA is very heavy on any combination of opposition. But 2 months can be very long in politics. Can’t say what will be the final results. But if elections are held today, I think NDA “BJP has a huge lead.”
The idea of ’one-to-one contest’ is irrelevant
Elaborating on his assessment, Prashant Kishor said: “The very talk of ‘one to one fight’ against BJP is irrelevant. There are more than 300 seats in the country where BJP has a direct fight with others. Gujarat, Rajasthan, In states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, BJP has a direct fight with Congress on 250 seats. There is a direct contest here. Similarly, on about 100 seats where there are regional parties, like Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Nationalist Congress Party, where There is a direct competition with BJP. But the strike rate of these four parties is in single digits in these states. Whether you field one candidate or two, what difference does it make. But if 150 or even 125 out of 350 win, then BJP will win. Will be able to remove it.”
When asked about the strength of Modi and BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, Prashant Kishor cited 4 reasons: One: Hindutva ideology that has spread among the voters, Two: Modi’s projecting of India as a big power and ‘new His emphasis on ‘nationalism’, three: direct delivery model to beneficiaries like Jan Dhan, toilets, LPG gas, drinking water, farmers, and four: organizational strength and financial strength.
Prashant Kishor said, “They (the opposition) have to focus on three out of four points. You have to counter Hindutva, you have to bring a better narrative than nationalism, you have to bring a better model than this beneficiary model, and if you If you cannot match the electoral strength of BJP, then you will have to do something better than it.”
EVM tampering denied
Prashant Kishor denied any possibility of manipulation of electronic voting machines. However, he suggested that the Election Commission should digitally upload Forms 19 and 20 from each polling station on its website.
The election strategist said: “I don’t comment on subjects in which I have no expertise. That’s gossip. I don’t think EVMs, if we remove the technicalities, are operational on such a large scale, there are 10 lakh booths in the country. In this, these also include the states which have non-BJP governments, such a big system, so many people, you ‘constantly manipulate’ them and the matter does not come out. The chances of this are very less.”
He said: “Secondly, till now it is not the case that in the survey we are finding that Congress is getting 40% and the results are 20%, then it can be thought about. But the common scientific surveys are Leave aside right or wrong, it is not being said that Congress or India has a huge lead. I am talking about taking all the surveys together, you just take their average, the results are completely opposite to the surveys of the last 10 years. He has not come, if he has come then he has gone against BJP only. I don’t think that this (rigging) is possible, even if it is possible then accept that once it happens then what is the alternative, you are not able to create a movement even on that. You are there. Coming to the media and speaking, making statements will not help.”
Prashant Kishore said: “However, 2-3 things must be done for improvement in this. I have written to the Election Commission – Upload the Form 19 which is filled at every booth, which is signed by everyone before the EVM is sealed. Do it. I don’t know the reason why this form is not being uploaded. Form 20 is uploaded after counting. If both Form 19 and 20 are uploaded then the whole controversy will end to some extent.”
Misuse of ED and CBI
On the opposition’s allegation that the BJP government is misusing the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI to harass its leaders, Prashant Kishor said: “All governments use or misuse agencies. But everyone says the agencies do their work.” This is not happening for the first time in the country. There may be a difference in the extent to which it is happening. If you are a supporter of BJP then you will say that it used to happen during the time of Indira ji, now it is happening less. If you are a supporter of Congress, If there are supporters, they will say that it used to be less in our times, now it is happening more. But as a citizen, you have to understand that the public has no problem with all this. People have no problem with the fact that Laluji was raided. There was a raid on Arvind Kejriwal or a raid on Hemant Soren, but the public has a problem when the same Hemant Soren joins the BJP and the raids stop. People have a problem with that. This is not in accordance with Modi ji’s claim (It is not consistent with what Modiji claims). Agencies have been used and misused in the past and are happening even now.”
Rahul Gandhi is strong willed
Comparing the personalities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Prashant Kishor praised Modi and also said that “Rahul Gandhi’s nature surprises me. Rahul ‘has nerves of steel’. 90 in the last 10 years Despite losing the election percent, being positive and thinking that he is on the right path is not a small thing.
The political strategist said: “I have not worked much with Rahul ji. There is an ‘innate’ difference in the personality of Rahul ji and Modi ji. Rahul ji has a ‘pedigree’, Modi ji has a different background. Modi ji’s strength is not that He is the biggest speaker, or he has the support of Hindutva forces behind him. His biggest strength is his 45 years of experience. In which the first 15 years he was associated with the society as a RSS pracharak, the next 15 years as a BJP organizer. Worked in, and has now been CM and PM for 15 years. There is no leader in Indian politics with so many different experiences. Those who say that Modiji is popular because of advertisements, because of publicity or because of control over media. , It is not so. Journalists will tell you that because of his connection with the public, Modi can ‘second guess’ what the public wants from him. But you cannot compete with someone unless you assess his strengths. “If you don’t judge someone, how can you defeat him?”
In the show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’, Prashant Kishor talked about his relationship with Prime Minister Modi before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Prashant Kishor also spoke about how he helped Nitish Kumar form an alliance with RJD to defeat BJP in the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections, and how he helped Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee had won the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Prashant Kishor described the Aam Aadmi Party as a “one man show”, which lacks institutional mechanisms and ideological roots. Kishor ruled out any possibility of his comeback as an election strategist for any political party and said he is working to promote his political organization Jan Suraj Abhiyan in Bihar.
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