Prashant Kishor has predicted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will make a significant impact in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, particularly in the eastern and southern states, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Prashant Kishor said that BJP can secure the highest number of seats compared to its tally in the past in southern and eastern India, largely due to a significant increase in Tamil Nadu’s vote share.

“I think BJP will reach double digits in terms of vote share in Tamil Nadu for the first time,” Kishor said in an interview to a news agency, repeating remarks he made a year ago. It is significant that the BJP will either be Telangana’s leading party or its second.

The election strategist further added, “They will be number one in Odisha for sure. You would be surprised as, in all likelihood, to my mind, the BJP is going to be the number one party in West Bengal.”

In the 520-seat Lok Sabha, the BJP has predicted that it will win more than 400 seats; however, Prashant Kishor thinks the saffron party is unlikely to win more than 370 seats.

In the 543-member Lok Sabha, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Kerala collectively hold 204 seats. However, the BJP was unable to secure 50 seats in all these states combined, having won 29 and 47 seats in 2014 and 2019, respectively.

Over the years, the BJP has maintained its hold on northern and western India, but Kishor believes that the party will only face pressure in the next elections if the opposition, particularly the Congress, ensures that the BJP loses at least 100 seats in these regions.

About Rahul Gandhi fighting from Wayanad the poll strategist commented, “There is no benefit if you win from Wayanad if you do not win in UP, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh,” in response to Rahul Gandhi’s hesitation to run for the Amethi seat. From a strategic standpoint, I can state that eliminating that area (Amethi) will only convey the incorrect message.