Political strategist Prashant Kishore said the rebels would have been in a better position to win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections if they had not missed multiple opportunities to revive the party when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fell on hard times.
Kishore said such an opportunity first came in 2015 and 2016, when the BJP lost several state assembly elections.
“In January 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party won the Delhi assembly elections. The only state the BJP could win was Assam, and that too in the last 15-18 months as Prime Minister Modi’s popularity was just starting to rise (after 2014). It was an opportunity where the Congress-led opposition could have made a comeback,” Kishore said in an interview with NDTV.
Also read: Lok Sabha elections: Did Prashant Kishore predict Bharatiya Janata Party victory? ‘As long as there is no anger or agitation against rivals…’
Another opportunity the opposition got, according to Kishore, was after demonetisation in 2016. INR500 and INR1,000 banknotes by the Modi-led government.
“There was some kind of turmoil in the country. You can call it economic or rural distress. The BJP won the 2017 UP assembly elections, but there were protests by Patels ahead of the Gujarat elections. You remember there were protests in Maharashtra too,” Kishore said.
It was not a good time for the BJP and PM Modi, he said. “In the November 2017 Gujarat state elections, the Indian National Congress performed well despite losing.The BJP managed to win by a margin of just over 15 seats.In the following months, the was defeated in elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.In other words, the period from mid-2017 to the end of 2018 was a period of 15-17 months when the BJP was at a disadvantage and the opposition missed out on opportunities. ,” Kishore said.
Kishore said the Opposition missed another opportunity when the Prime Minister’s approval rating declined in June 2021 after the second wave of coronavirus infections. At that time, the Bharatiya Janata Party had just lost the West Bengal state elections, he said.
“The last chance for the opposition was in June 2023, when many political parties came together to unite the old Indian bloc and face the Bharatiya Janata Party, which could have ended at least 220-240. Whispers spread across the country that the number of seats in the 2024 election was on hold. But there was no progress for months,” Kishore told NDTV.
Also read: ‘The BJP will lose its majority only if’: Prashant Kishor predicts NDA will have ‘significant advantage’ in 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Kishore predicted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party would return to power in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
We also hear that the Indian National Congress party had predicted victory in five state assembly elections from November to December 2023, but this did not materialize. The Indian Union believed that India would start the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in a favorable position. And with this idea, the Bharatiya Janata Party lost a crucial four to five months when it had already started campaigning under Prime Minister Modi. In fact, for two months after the Ram temple event, the opposition had almost given up. “And by the time they woke up in February, it was too late,” he said.
Voting for 49 seats in the fifth phase took place on May 20, with elections for 428 of the 543 seats now complete. The remaining two phases will be held on May 25 and June 1. Counting of votes for all seven phases of the Lok Sabha elections will take place on June 4.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is seeking a record third term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has set a target of winning 400 seats in this election. The ruling alliance is being challenged by the Congress-led opposition party under the banner of India Bloc.
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