"Not Winning Solely On Modi's Popularity": Prashant Kishor Lists Out Four Reasons For BJP Victories In Three States

Prashant Kishor, a former poll strategist now activist, contended on Monday (4 December) that the recent electoral successes of the BJP cannot be solely attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image. He further emphasised that for the Opposition parties to effectively challenge the BJP, they must first comprehend the party's strengths.

During his current Jan Suraaj campaign in Singwara block of Darbhanga district, Kishor spoke to the media and outlined the four reasons for BJP's victory in three state elections. He stated that the first reason was their adherence to Hindutva, their ideological belief. The second was the emergence of a new form of Nationalism. The third was the financial and organisational strength of the BJP. The last reason he cited was the Labharthi Yojna, the party's beneficiary programs.

He emphasised that the BJP's electoral success isn't solely based on Modi's varying popularity. He further expounded that people need to comprehend this and recognise the four elements that have consistently aided the saffron party in securing victories in elections.

According to The Hindu, he stated that in order to triumph over the BJP, opposition parties must present a superior alternative in a minimum of three out of the four components. Otherwise, they would likely face defeat in seven to eight out of 10 instances.

Conveying to the Congress party, he stated, "It is essential for you to develop superior labharthi yojna for the public, enhance your organisational structure and authority, or establish a more compelling nationalist ideology than Hindutva. Indeed, you must present a model that surpasses the BJP in these three elements."

He suggested that the victories Congress achieved in Karnataka and Telangana were not due to their own merit, but rather a result of the people in these states wanting to vote against the incumbent government.

In these states, Congress was the only alternative party available, hence the votes they received, Kishor said. He further added that the anti-incumbency sentiment against the KCR government was what led to Congress's win in Telangana.

Kishor previously identified a prevailing anti-incumbency mood in Bihar too. He stated, "A survey indicates that 50-55 per cent of the state's population are in search of a fresh political option. While they are uncertain about which party will emerge as this alternative, they are convinced that the current parties will not bring about the necessary reforms in Bihar," he asserted.

On 2 December, during his visit to Jale block in Darbhanga, he highlighted his 15 months of experience with the current campaign. He estimated that approximately 2,000-2,500 individuals from each block are engaging with Jan Suraaj. He further projected that by the conclusion of this foot march, it will have amassed one crore founding members.