New Delhi: Election strategist Prashant Kishor has responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim in the aftermath of Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in four state elections that these results “have decided the 2024 results.”
BJP has recorded victories in the states assembly elections of Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand, results of which were announced on March 10. In his speech to BJP workers yesterday, Modi mentioned “political pundits”.
“I hope political pundits, who did not think much of the party’s 2019 (Lok Sabha) win saying it had already been decided by the 2017 UP results, will now have the courage to say that the 2022 (UP) results have decided the 2024 (Lok Sabha) results,” Modi said in Hindi, according to Indian Express.
A day later, Kishor responded saying that the 2024 battle will not be decided by any state elections. Without naming Modi, Kishor called this a “false narrative.”
“Battle for India will be fought and decided in 2024 and not in any state elections,” the strategist wrote on Twitter.
Kishor, who is one of those individuals in the opposition’s ranks whose phone tested positive for the presence of Pegasus spyware last year, said that Modi was attempting to ascribe more importance to the assembly polls than the 2024 Lok Sabha polls warranted.
“Saheb knows this! Hence this clever attempt to create frenzy around state results to establish a decisive psychological advantage over opposition. Don’t fall or be part of this false narrative,” he said.
Lauding BJP workers for ensuring an “early Holi” by making BJP victorious in four states, Modi had said, “BJP’s vote share has increased in Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Goa, even after being incumbent. All exit polls were proven incorrect in Goa, and the people of Goa have given us the chance to serve them for the third consecutive time.”
Speaking to The Wire ahead of the state elections, Kishor had noted that he believed that to ideologically counter the BJP, challenging Hindutva by claiming it’s not real Hinduism “doesn’t cut much ice”. In the interview, Kishor also spoke about how Modi’s image is utilised by BJP.
Kishor is advisor to Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee. The party made its first significant foray into politics beyond east and northeast India by contesting some seats in the Goa assembly polls this time. However, despite a high decibel campaign, the party did not manage to win a single seat and ended with a vote share of 5.26%.