'Prashant Kishor audio' claims Modi popular in Bengal, Dalits backing BJP

Audio clips of a purported private chat between Trinamool Congress’ poll strategist Prashant Kishor and a group of Delhi-based journalists are the latest addition to the BJP’s arsenal in the fiercely fought electoral battle in Bengal.

Tweeting four audio clips of the chat ostensibly held on Clubhouse app, BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya on Saturday claimed that “Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist concedes that even in TMC’s internal surveys, BJP is winning.”

“Modi is popular here, the Hindi-speaking people have over one crore votes, Dalits account for 27 per cent — and they are fully backing the BJP. Plus, there is polarisation,” a person, allegedly Kishor, was heard saying in the audio clips, veracity of which could not be confirmed independently by The Federal.

Also read: Decoding Mamata’s pick of Nandigram for Bengal Assembly polls

“Even in our surveys on who will form the government, predominantly people say BJP is coming to power. Why is it so? When we probed it further, we found it is because those who are voting for the BJP are naturally claiming the party will form the government. In addition, among those voting for the Left — 10-15 per cent — about two-third think the BJP will form the government. So, the majority view you are hearing is that the BJP is coming to power,” Kishor allegedly claimed.

In a public chat on Club House, Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist concedes that even in TMC’s internal surveys, BJP is winning.

The vote is for Modi, polarisation is a reality, the SCs (27% of WB’s population), Matuas are all voting for the BJP!

BJP has cadre on ground. pic.twitter.com/3ToYuvWfRm

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 10, 2021

Another candid admission by Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist – all that the Left, Congress and TMC ecosystem have done in the last 20 years is Muslim appeasement.

Implication? It has resulted to resentment on ground. The speakers had not realised that the chat was public! pic.twitter.com/2kyLsQXYyi

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 10, 2021

Modi is hugely popular in Bengal and there is no doubt about it. There is a cult around him across the country.

There is anti-incumbency against TMC, polarisation is a reality, SC votes is a factor plus BJP’s election machinery, says Mamata Banerjee’s strategist in an open chat. pic.twitter.com/Vrl8vl231b

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 10, 2021

Is it open?

That moment when Mamata Banerjee’s strategiest realised that the Club House room was open and his admissions were being heard by the public at large and not just a handful of Lutyens journalist.

Deafening silence followed…

TMC’s election was just thrown away! pic.twitter.com/2XJ4RWbv3K

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 10, 2021

He further claimed to have admitted there is anti-incumbency against the ruling TMC and that 50-55 per cent Hindus are voting for the BJP.

Incidentally, in the last Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had cornered around 54 per cent of the Hindu votes to bag 18 of the state’s 42 parliamentary seats.

Also read: Jaya Bachchan is TMC’s response to BJP’s star campaigner Mithun

Reacting to the leak, Kishor in a tweet dared the BJP to share the full chat. “I am glad BJP is taking my chat more seriously than the words or their own leaders. They should show courage and share the full chat instead of getting excited with selective use of parts of it. I have said this before and repeating again—BJP will not to CROSS 100 in WB (Sic)” Kishor said in his tweet.

He said that Malviya highlighted only the part of the conversation where he was explaining how the BJP was getting 40 per cent votes. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP got little over 40 per cent votes.

Earlier in December last year the poll strategist had said he would quit Twitter if the BJP reached three figure mark in the Bengal assembly elections.

The BJP leaders were quick to seize the opportunity to use the audio clips in its perception battle to influence “silent voters.”

BJP leader Locket Chatterjee said that even Prashant Kishor “knows that Modi is the best and ‘Sonar Bangla’ will be built under his leadership.”

Since the first phase of polling, the BJP leaders are trying to create a perception that the electoral battle was all over for the TMC.

“Didi (Mamata Banerjee)’s face itself indicates the TMC’s defeat,” Prime Minister Modi said at a rally after the second-phase polling on April 1.