‘Quitting this space’, declares Prashant Kishor

Election Commission of India an extension of BJP, says strategist.

File photo of poll strategist Prashant Kishor.

Election strategist Prashant Kishor, who had claimed back in December that the BJP will struggle to cross double digits in the West Bengal Assembly election and will quit if it did, announced on Sunday that he is “quitting this space”.

He also came down hard on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of being an “extension of the BJP”.

“I am quitting this space,” he told

India Today TV after trends showed a landslide victory for the Trinamool Congress, whose election strategy for the Assembly poll he helped craft.

“I have never seen a more partial Election Commission... It did everything to help the BJP... From allowing the use of religion to scheduling the poll and bending the rules, the ECI did everything to help the BJP,” he said, calling the poll panel an “extension” of the saffron party.

‘Formidable force’

Talking to NDTV , Mr. Kishor stuck to his stand that the BJP was a formidable force in West Bengal. He said he was confident about the Trinamool’s victory despite the BJP’s attempt to “build a massive propaganda” that it was winning.

“The result may look one-sided, but it was a tough fight. The BJP is a formidable force and will be,” he said.

‘Will struggle’

“...In reality BJP will struggle to cross double digits in #WestBengal,” he had tweeted as early as December last year, and his words proved prophetic.

“If BJP does any better, I must quit this space!” he had said.