The unique stamp Prashant Kishor, the political strategist, appointed by Trinamul Congress, is showing its finesse in the transformation of the CM Mamata Banerjee. From a fire-brand nose-diver into everything relevant to utterly irrelevant national issues, Didi has frequently been getting herself trapped in embarrassing situations. A classic example is her reaction to boys chanting Jai Shri Ram, while she was on her way to Bhatpara, post-elections and violent situation.
She has quietened down thankfully, and so have the BJP opposition leaders, though the truce seems a temporary one, both warring parties fatigued by long months of political bickering. Didi’s call for the return of the cut money has been carefully crafted to distance the CM away from her party men, many who have earned the dubious distinction as being the worst corrupt. The initial crowd-gather at the party leaders’ houses, demanding the return of the ‘cut-money,’ is thinning down, which was what could have been cleverly perceived by Kishor. There goes his round one.
The recent outreach giving a phone number for direct registration of complaints with the CM is the second stamp of Kishor. Not all would have registered any complaint, and a few would have even teased on the number praising ‘Ram.’ Notwithstanding, the grass-root connect has been re-established, many going gaga over Mamata’s simplicity giving common man access to her directly. I do not believe that she could have directly answered any calls, but that wasn’t necessary at all. Kishor won hands down in second round two.
The Mayor and a senior minister in West Bengal, Bobby Hakim, has gone on record yesterday, advising the minorities to respect the sentiments during the forthcoming Id-Uz-Zuha, popularly known as Bakr-Id. “Someones’ celebration should not be a cause of others unhappiness,” he observed.
Prashant Kishore led organization i-pac is employing more than 1000 people who are collating data, later studied for solutions towards a romping victory for the TMC in 2021. Public outreach, at the rural village levels and house-to-house levels, is planned, to forge a closer relationship with the masses. They seemingly had gone awry in the past, particularly after TMC’s second term victory in the Assembly polls.
The recent poll debacle has been a wake-up call for the TMC leaders, who were confident of the impossibility of BJP making any inroads into West Bengal. Ram and Hanuman have entered the scene, with many pavement temples popping up all over, proving that the change could be a distinct possibility.
Don’t be surprised if there’s a knock on your door and if it is a senior minister of Didi herself with a standing with a smile that will swoon you! That could be Prashant Kishor’s stamp as well!
Jai…whatever gods!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
