Prasant Kishor, the name that has been probably the most searched name online in India. An IIT alumnus, Kishor after working for a few US consultant companies has made his presence seriously felt in the Indian politics. Today he is known as the wizard of elections, poll strategist Prasant Kishor. Back in 2014 it was Kishor who made a major contribution behind Modi becoming a household name. This was more evident after the thumping victory of TMC in the recently concluded assembly election in West Bengal. Kishor, this time, was the chief poll strategist for Mamata Banerjee and much of the win has been accredited to his work in larger media circles. Kishor is the most sought-after poll strategist of modern India and has been known to have worked for major political parties such as the Bharatiya Janata Party, Samajwadi Party, Congress, Janata Dal (U), etc.
Now that the West Bengal polls are over, what is next for the Poll wizard? It has been reported that Kishor and his team at ‘I Pack’ took a month-long holiday after the announcement of WB results. After the time-off, he was seen in the TMC meeting convened by Banerjee herself on June 5 where she appointed Abhishek Banerjee as the national general secretary of TMC. She has, over time, given enough indications of taking TMC at a national level and has more participation in the party in other states. For those looking for an alternative against Modi and BJP, Banerjee has instilled a new hope. And with Prasant Kishor by her side, she currently must feel like an invincible. However, what will she decide for Kishor next, is the million dollar question. A man of his calibre will surely not enjoy working on smaller municipal and panchayat elections due in West Bengal. The target here for Kishor must be the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but there is time for it.
Mamata Banerjee may use this time to build a national alliance fit to stand against the Modi 3.0 jargon. Kishor is just the right person to steer the alliance through the coming days to counter the BJP in the next general elections. Given his record, Kishor is the opposition’s best bet in 2024. The West Bengal CM must also have something similar in her mind and may have even started working on it. Assigning Kishor a national role in this alliance-to-be makes perfect sense at this juncture. After working in West Bengal head-on with the saffron brigade, Kishor has a fairly good idea of the party’s vulnerability. However, one will not be able to deny that BJP did increase a fair share of seats in the state despite having not been able to get the required numbers. Nevertheless, it will be the battle of political heavyweights in 2024 and whatever be the result, India’s future would depend on it.