KISHOR CLAIMS BJP WILL NOT WIN BEYOND DOUBLE DIGITS IN BENGAL; PARTY RETORTS

KOLKATA: The BJP will not cross double digits in the West Bengal assembly polls, election strategist Prashant Kishor claimed on Monday, making light of the coup home minister Amit Shah pulled off with a parade of TMC leaders into the saffron party.

Kishor, who managed Narendra Modi’s successful campaign for prime ministership in 2014, has been roped in by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee to boost her party’s prospects in the West Bengal assembly polls likely in April-May next year.

Kishor said he will quit Twitter if the saffron party does any better than what he has predicted, setting off a war of words with BJP leaders on the microblogging website.

“For all the hype amplified by a section of supportive media, in reality BJP will struggle to cross double digits in West Bengal,” he tweeted. “Please save this tweet and if BJP does any better I must quit this space!” Kishore added.

The BJP had got a huge a shot in the arm on Saturday when political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, nine MLAs and a TMC MP joined the party.

Shah, considered the architect of the BJP’s resurgence in West Bengal, had asserted that his party will win over 200 seats in the upcoming polls.

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, the party’s pointsman in the state, took a swipe at Kishor, saying the country will end up losing a poll strategist after the West Bengal elections. “Given the ongoing BJP tsunami in Bengal, once the new government is formed, the country will have to lose an election strategist,” Vijayvargiya said on Twitter. “Very happy that an ‘Expert’ who can make such a ‘Statement’, is leading the Poll Campaign of @AITCofficial & @MamataOfficial?? Which world does he stay, what diet has #TMchhi put him ONGreat thing is, come 2021, na rahega Saanp (TMchhi) na bhajegi (PK ki) Bansuri @BJP4India,” Union minister from Bengal Babul Supriyo said in a snappy wisecrack.