"If BJP Wins, But Less Than 370, Market May...": Prashant Kishor To NDTV

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor today credited the BJP for shifting the election discourse to winning 370 seats from just crossing the halfway mark in the Lok Sabha. However, a failure to achieve that mark may disappoint the share market, noted Mr Kishor in an exclusive interview with NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia.

"When the expectation from a company is very high and they do not meet that despite performing well, the stock market punishes them. From this point of view, if the BJP scores less than 370 seats, this may become a talking point. The markets too may reflect this," said the poll strategist.

Mr Kishor, who had worked with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP during 2014 polls, has predicted a victory for the ruling party in the ongoing elections.

He also called the BJP's 370-seat target a "smart" move, which has benefitted them in changing the election discourse.

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"In the last three-four months, the discussion has centred around '370' and '400 paar'. Consider it a BJP strategy or Opposition's weakness, but the BJP has entirely shifted the goalpost from 272 to 370. This has benefitted the BJP. Now, no one is saying Modi ji will lose, they are saying they may not get 370 seats," said the poll strategist.

However, Mr Kishor noted, even if the BJP gets 320 seats (or any figure lesser than the 370 mark they expect to cross), the saffron party will form the government.

In the 543-seat Lok Sabha, 272 is the halfway mark that a party or a coalition needs to cross to form government at the centre.