The strategist fumbled!

The poll pitch has been queered by an alleged leak of the poll strategist Prashant Kishor, conceding to the might of Modi and the BJP. The Strategist must admit the bad poll-fielding of the TMC, the exodus of their party loyalists and the growing anti-incumbency.

Religious polarisation complaints against the national BJP party seemingly have succumbed in the face of more intense woes. Corruption in Amphan cyclone victims’ rehabilitation, rationing scam, cut monies, and the rejection of direct cash deposits to the beneficiaries’ accounts have hurt the TMC. The coal mining scam and the cattle smuggling proceeds leading to the CM’s household is no comfort, hurting Mamata’s nephew and her party badly.

The rise of ISF as an alternative face of the Muslims has added to the misery. Lack of industrialization is an intense concern among the urban and the elite citizens, whose wards have mostly left the State.

Mamata’s style of taking on the PM, HM and above all the Central forces is not yielding any friends for her, which she cannot understand. TMC has not only lost the momentum but lost the direction as well. Therefore, TMC losing the elections would not be a surprise.

The ideal situation is for an industry-friendly government, which cannot be under the present government. BJP are the favourites on this account. What if BJP does not attain a majority and falls short of a few seats? It will result in TMC joining hands with Sanjukta Morcha to form a coalition government. The sustainability of highly contrasting, conflicting and distrusting partners is writing on the wall. The State CPM has already scoffed at ideas of joining hands with the TMC.

I guess, secretly, the CPM could be hoping that the TMC is ousted and the BJP coming to power. The Leftists then could attempt to win back their cadres and look for posing a challenge to the BJP after five years. After all, the leftists ruled West Bengal for 34 years, and the left ideologies are hard to erase from the people’s minds.

The poll strategist’s untimely admission of a possible BJP victory is a betrayal of the trust and faith of Mamata. A matured strategist is not seen nor heard but is felt by his actions and meaningful advice. He has lost his marbles.

Mamata must mellow down on her needless rantings, and so must her loyal band of select lieutenants, who have brought no glory to the image of West Bengal, save branded fightercocks.

Even if PK is a BJP Trojan Horse, as alleged by a few, it is surprising why Mamata, a seasoned politician, capitulated to an outsider professional strategist. Mamata’s wounded and weak, wheelchair-bound image was unmaking her political fortunes. She committed a political Hara-kiri.

Phases five to eight will be a landslide for the BJP.

Sampath Kumar

Intrépide Voix