Political strategist Prashant Kishor on Thursday stood firm on his prediction that the BJP would repeat its 2019 performance, scoring around 300 seats in this year's Lok Sabha polls. In a tweet, Kishor even took a swipe at "rattled" detractors, advising them to "stay hydrated" and "keep plenty of water handy on June 4", the day of the counting of votes.
The 47-year-old political strategist's tweet came hours after a video of his heated exchange with a journalist in a recent interview went viral. Kishor, in the interview, was reminded about two of his poll predictions in the past that went wrong, including "the Congress’s impending electoral rout" in Himachal Pradesh in 2022.
Prashant Kishor vehemently denied having made that prediction, daring the journalist to produce video evidence. As the clip from the interview began circulating on social media, screenshots of his old tweet on Himachal Pradesh also made their way as a counter to the strategist's denial.
In Thursday's tweet, Kishor also cited his past prediction on the Trinamool Congress sweeping the West Bengal assembly polls in 2021 for good measure.
"PS: Remember, May 2, 2021, and West Bengal!!" he tweeted.
Kishor had managed Trinamool Congress's campaign during the 2021 Bengal polls. The Mamata Banerjee-led party retained power with an overwhelming majority, winning 215 of 294 seats.
"Drinking water is good as it keeps both mind and body hydrated. Those who are rattled by my assessment of the outcome of this election must keep plenty of water handy on June 4th. PS: Remember, May 2, 2021, and West Bengal!!" he tweeted.
PRASHANT KISHOR'S BJP PREDICTION
In an exclusive interview with India Today TV on Wednesday, Prashant Kishor said it was impossible for the BJP to get 370 seats on its own and that the party would get somewhere around 300 seats.
"From the day PM (Narendra) Modi claimed that the BJP would secure 370 seats and the NDA would surpass the 400 mark, I said this was not possible. This is all sloganeering to boost workers' morale. It is impossible for the BJP to get 370 seats, but it is also certain that the party will not fall below the 270 mark. I believe the BJP will manage to secure the same number of seats as it did in the previous Lok Sabha elections, which is 303 seats, or perhaps a little more," Kishor said.
Explaining why he thought the BJP would get 300 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, the political strategist claimed that the ruling party was facing no major dent in North and West regions, whereas its seats would see a surge in South and East.
Kishor also pointed out that there was no widespread anger against PM Modi in the country, barring a section of society that feels disappointed with his performance.
