YSRCP's campaign is run by IPAC, Kishor’s brainchild, while the TDP campaign is being guided by Robin Sharma, Kishor’s former deputy.
CM YS Jagan, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, and PM Narendra Modi. (South First)
Election strategist Prashant Kishor’s comments predicting the probable result in the Andhra Pradesh polls seem to have stirred a hornet’s nest.
In an event hosted by a newspaper on 3 March, Prashant Kishor in a direct reference to YSRCP, the party he guided in 2019 elections, said, “My gut tells me he (Jagan Mohan Reddy) is losing. Not just losing, but losing big.”
In a swift reaction to the remark, YSRCP retorted that Prashant Kishor’s “gut” and predictions have been irrational and have missed the mark in the recent past. His infamous inaccuracies include predicting BRS victory in Telangana and Congress in Rajasthan during the recent Assembly elections.
“Let’s also not forget his failed attempt at direct politics in Bihar. Besides his ‘gut’ (which has proven to be very wrong in recent times), what is he basing these random, inaccurate predictions on?” it added.
Notwithstanding this controversy, Prashant Kishor’s strategies seem to work for both the winners and losers.
Prashant Kishor, popularly known as PK, has been famous for his successful track record of securing election victories for political parties.
Having gained prominence through his campaign for Narendra Modi in 2014, he is claimed to be instrumental in bringing six chief ministers to power. He guided different parties at different points of time in the next seven years through his political and electoral strategies.
After 2021 TMC’s victory in West Bengal, he announced his resignation from the provision of political strategies and initiated the Jana Suraj campaign in Bihar on 2 October, 2022 – a march on foot across the state to connect with the people.
However, he reportedly failed to garner support for his padayatra in Bihar.
Kishor’s earlier work is so popular that, ‘Prashant Kishor’s Team’ was more easily identifiable in political circles and among politicians than his brainchild company, IPAC, which he previously worked for.
With Chai pe Charcha, 3D rallies, and social media campaigns, IPAC and Prashant Kishor’s heralded new-age political campaigns.
Until a few months ago, IPAC was leading Prashant Kishor’s padayatra in Bihar. According to IPAC insiders, they considered it an understanding, agreement, or a fee for his services.
But the outfit’s support to Prashant Kishor’s personal yatra appeared to have become a burden on IPAC’s directors, straining their relations with their guiding force, Prashant Kishor.
Although IPAC appears to have withdrawn from operations in Bihar after Prashant Kishor’s meeting with Chandrababu Naidu on 23 December, 2023, it is still recognised as Kishor’s brainchild. As IPAC could not remain the preferred choice, several consultants who once worked with Kishor have become desirable alternatives to him.
While Prashant Kishor’s directly collaborated with YS Jagan in 2019, the latter is getting the services of IPAC now.
Prashant Kishor’s former associate, Robin Sharma, previously associated with IPAC, is now working for Naidu’s TDP in Andhra Pradesh through his Show Time consultancy.
His meeting with Naidu along with Show Time members sparked a debate, putting IPAC and YS Jagan in a challenging position, as Kishor till now was the YSRCP cadre’s moral strength and possessed inside knowledge of the party.
Though Prashant Kishor is consistently distancing himself from agreeing to work with the TDP, sources from the party suggest that PK has indeed agreed to collaborate with Naidu.
The YSRCP’s counter to debunk PK’s credibility seems to have very little impact, as Prashant Kishor’s ‘gut’ is still influential in Telugu states, as per an insider of IPAC, some still being referred to as ‘Prashant Kishor’s team’ in many places. Kishor’s mark in campaigns are that popular in Andhra Pradesh.
“Didi ko bolo”, a citizen complaint redressal mechanism initiated by the AITMC of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, shares similarities with “Jaganannaku Chebudham” in Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, initiatives like “Tapashilir Sanglap” and “Sahboj”, which involve leaders from SC, ST communities disseminating messages of AIMTC in special designed buses, resembles the “Samajika Sadhikara Yatra” of YSRCP’s campaign.
Various other campaigns and initiatives, from Delhi’s CM Kejriwal campaign in 2020 and Mamata Banerjee’s campaigns in West Bengal in 2021, share similarities with initiatives now underway in Andhra Pradesh, which were previously led by Prashant Kishor.
This situation is not different from the BJP’s scenario in the state.
For many pending projects and alleged lack of support, such as the irrigation project Polavaram and the establishment of the state’s own capital after the bifurcation, as well as the non-implementation of the reorganisation act, the two regional parties, YSRCP and TDP, have been seen supporting the BJP.
In the political circles, it is believed that while one party works covertly, remaining out of alliances — referring to the YSRCP — the other works overtly — referring to the TDP-JSP — by going into an alliance with the saffron party.
Whether Naidu triumphs or Jagan retains power, it’s a win-win for the saffron party. Either way, it will add 25 Lok Sabha seats to the National Democratic Alliance’s kitty.
Likewise, the scenario is similar for Prashant Kishor over these two political consultancies. Though TDP seems to be evaluating Prashant Kishor’s guidance to STC now, it is his old strategies and past campaigns on the ground that IPAC still banks on. This makes Prashant Kishor’s akin to the BJP, where whoever may win it finally falls to his credit.
(Edited by Venugopal)
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