Barring occasional interviews with the news media, he works rather quietly in his election war room or is seated obscurely among throngs of party workers and leaders listening intently to them. Yet, the "Man of the Match" sobriquet has often been bestowed upon Prashant Kishor for his role in winning for towering leaders across parties an election game. And West Bengal was no different.

Realising, that there was a ground swell of anger against several lower level TMC leaders who were often accused of petty corruption in execution of public welfare schemes, Kishor designed the 'Didi Ke Bolo' (Tell Didi) campaign under which citizens could directly approach Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with their grievances.

"PK's programme became popular and acted as a safety valve allowing popular steam to come out," said Rajat Roy, political analyst and member, Calcutta Research Group.

Moments after massive success in West Bengal Assembly Election Result 2021, Mamata Banerjee’s chief election strategist and head of IPAC, Prashant Kishor has said he was going to “quit this space”, and pursue another career.

In an interview to Arnab on Republic, Prashant Kishor announced his decision to hand it over to his colleagues. He said he wants to take some time out and look at an alternate career. He also said that he has not met his family in months.

After the election results he made it clear that Mamata Banerjee was storming to power in Bengal, and said, “I am happy that IPAC has helped TMC and MK Stalin to victories in the polls. But I want to take a break and hand over IPAC to young hands and spent some time with my family.” Asked repeatedly, Kishor said, “I am serious and don’t want to do this any more.” Kishor is being hailed by many for the TMC’s and DMK successes in Bengal and Tamil Nadu respectively.

Kishor also questioned the Election Commission for dragging the Assembly elections for over 45 days in Bengal.

“The role of Election Commission needs to be seen. It made everyone suffer for 45 days just because you wanted to give the BJP an extra edge.” “The way Election Commission is running the elections is completely partial. They gave them [BJP] a free a hand,” Kishor

During the run-up to the polls, Kishor was caught in a controversy after the IT cell of the BJP had released an audio tape where PK could be reportedly heard saying in a ‘Clubhouse’ chat that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hugely popular in West Bengal, which is one of the three factors that will decide which party sweeps the state in the ongoing Assembly elections.

Trinamool Congress had come out in open defense of Prashant Kishor then.

In the audio, Kishor is saying that on a public chat at the clubHouse, Prashant Kishor admitted that BJP is winning in TMC's internal survey too. People are voting for Modi and polarization has taken place. SC and Matua, 27 per cent of Bengal's population all voted for the BJP.

Another candid admission by Kishor is that -- all that the Left, Congress and TMC ecosystem have done in the last 20 years is Muslim appeasement. Implication? It has resulted in resentment on the ground. The speakers had not realised that the chat was public, Malviya wrote.

That moment when Mamata Banerjee's strategist realized that the ClubHouse 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, Malviya added.

Prashant Kishor was immediate to react. "I am happy that the people of BJP are taking my clubHouse chat more seriously than the statements of their leaders. I appeal to them to release the entire conversation except for some part of the chat. In the part that has been released, the question was being answered about how BJP is getting 40 per cent votes and how it has been thinking that the BJP is winning. He also said through social media that the BJP will not be able to cross the 100 mark in Bengal elections" Kishore tweeted.

Prashant Kishor or simply PK, as he is called by his team members, started working for the TMC at the request of party supremo Mamata Banerjee soon after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP won 18 of the state’s 42 seats and the ruling party appeared losing its grip on the state.

References:

OpIndia - News Reports