Congress Calls Prashant Kishor's Poll Prediction "Ludicrous, BJP-Sponsored"

The Congress on Monday called poll strategist Prashant Kishor's latest prediction that the BJP could come "number 1" in West Bengal and make substantial inroads in southern states in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as "ludicrous".

Speaking to NDTV, Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said that Mr Kishor's prediction was a "BJP-sponsored show". Mr Kishor had recently said that the BJP has worked hard to expand its presence in south and east India over the years and may reap dividends this time.

"Prashant Kishor is an RSS man masquerading as a political analyst. You should call it a BJP-sponsored show," Mr Kumar told NDTV.

BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy, however, denied the charge and said that "whoever tells the truth will be termed as an RSS man".

Mr Kumar also accused Mr Kishor of attempting to destabilise the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government when he was with the Congress alliance and later giving up after he joined the BJP.

"The day Nitish joined the BJP alliance, he (Mr Kishor) stopped his tour," Mr Kumar said.

"No Anti-Incumbency In Tamil Nadu"

Ajoy Kumar, who is Congress's in-charge of Tamil Nadu, also claimed that there is no anti-incumbency in the state.

He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's frequent visits to Tamil Nadu would only enhance the ruling DMK alliance's prospects.

No Prime Minister has lost credibility like PM Modi before the polls, he said.

"The BJP has reduced the political discourse to a street fight. The party only raises non-substantive issues," Mr Kumar told NDTV.

He also alleged that the electoral bond scheme is the world's one of the most corrupt systems. The Supreme Court had struck down the electoral bonds scheme as "unconstitutional" in a ruling in February.

On the question of the Congress leadership not campaigning in Tamil Nadu as frequently as PM Modi does, he said that Rahul Gandhi would campaign in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore and Tirunelveli on April 12.

"INDIA Bloc To Win All 40 Seats In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry"

Speaking about the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Ajoy Kumar said that the opposition INDIA bloc will win all 40 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

He said that they will make significant gains in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Telangana, and Karnataka.

The Congress leader also claimed that the BJP will score at least 150 seats less than what they won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The party secured 303 seats in the 543-seat Lok Sabha in the last general elections.

Mr Kumar also denied the BJP's allegations of dynastic politics. "For 27 years, the Congress did not have a Prime Minister from the Gandhi family," Mr Kumar said.

"Dynasts are now only in the BJP, from Piyush Goyal to Anurag Thakur to (Devendra) Fadnavis to Jyotiraditya Scindia," he added.