The Strategist!

The Indian political parties are increasingly leaning on professional poll strategists, the leading national name being Prashant Kishor or PK. PK after a stint in the UN worked pro bono for Modi and scripted his record third win as the CM on Gujrat in 2012. He formed the Citizenship Campaign Group, helping in Modi’s campaign and win in the 2014 LS election. PK parted with Modi after 2014 and converted his outfit as I-PAC, Indian Political Action Committee, an election campaign group with a formidable army of youths, spreading out into the length and breadth of states contracted and giving feedback. PK has been in demand ever since by all the parties.

PK, a Bihari, joined the Janata Dal (United) and scripted Nitish’s victory in 2015, and became the advisor to his government. PK, however, fell out with Nitish over PK’s supporting AAP against the JD(U) ‘s candidate in the Delhi polls, where PK supported the Aam Aadmi Party and later his opposition to Nitish’s support for the Citizenship Amendment Act (2019). JD(U) expelled PK in 2020.

The Congress hired PK for the Punjab Assembly elections in 2017, where Capt. Amarinder Singh won. The fortunes of PK continued to soar, but only until the Assembly elections in the UP in 2017 when Congress again hired him expecting a sweep. Alas, the genie from the lamp failed to help as BJP won with more than 312 seats and Congress winning only 7 seats, their lowest tally ever. 

PK had to redeem his image and agreed to work for YS Jaganmohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh in 2017 and with a successful outreach campaign helped him win 151 out of 175 seats. Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party crumbled under a concerted and scientific onslaught of I-PAC. Kishor then became the strategist for AAP in 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, and AAP won 62 out of 70 seats. 

PK was approached early this year by Jitan Ram Manjhi, the leader of opposition in Bihar, before the Assembly elections. NO, PK cannot be performing a miracle for any and everybody and spurned the offer. The BJP, JD(U) won, beating all odds of incumbency.

Kamal Haasan reportedly approached PK, but again keen business sense prevented PK to accede, as he waited for the signal from DMK, which soon fructified. The stamp of PK is visible in DMK’s recent activities. He would not have, however, expected the AIADMK alliance with the BJP and has to work hard.

Following the Lok Sabha poll reversals of TMC and the rise of BJP in West Bengal, I-PAC bagged the strategizing contract for TMC for the 2021 assembly elections. From axing old guards to admitting new faces, including Chjatradar Mahato, the former Maoist leader, PK’s influence is likely. Like the famed ‘Chai pe charcha’ of Modi, PK initiated a ‘Didi ke bolo’ tell didi, reconnecting top TMC leadership with the masses, which had to be called off soon after launch. The demand for the return of ‘cut money’ by corrupt leaders grew bothersome, thankfully the intervening Covid muffled the heat.

PK could have helped form for the first time a State Coordination Committee, bringing in an inner-party reorganization in West Bengal. Seven district presidents have been removed on the inputs received from I-Pac. The well-orchestrated CAA,CAA-CHI, CHI campaign by didi and the ‘outsiders’ gaffe by the TMC could be the idea of PK. Significantly, PK declined an offer for a RS seat from the TMC.

PK could be facing a real challenge in 2021 from BJP, or is he a Trojan horse, sent in to break the most formidable political opponent parties? His real bonafide would be proven when he is appointed yet again by the Congress party in some state to strategize. 

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix