Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election results and even before the exit polls were out, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who worked with several political parties in India, including the Congress, had said Rahul Gandhi should take a break and added that it was high time that the Congress changes its functioning. Kishor, one of the founders of the political outfit, Jan Suraaj, had expressed confidence that the BJP would secure over 300 seats. The party had won as many as 303 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and Kishore had expected the party to do better in 2024.
In an interview with Business Today, Kishor had said in the BJP's third term, the party had a clear game plan to tackle issues like rural distress, unemployment and growing inequality.
He had also predicted that the BJP would receive unwavering support from north and west of India.
“I think Modi-led BJP is returning. They may get the same numbers as last election or do slightly better. Unless there is widespread anger or clamour for the rivals, I do not think a big change will be seen," he had told NDTV during an interview.
“According to my assessment, BJP is going to come back with the same or slightly better numbers. But in west and northern India, I don't see it taking a material hit in terms of seats. I don't foresee the BJP losing many seats here. It has got adequate cover from east and southern India," The Print had quoted Kishor as saying.
The poll strategist had further said: “Over the past few years, BJP has also been trying hard to increase their vote share in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. I don't see a risk of BJP losing the election in the absence of a strong opposition."
Results on June 4
The predictions of Prashant Kishor were far off the mark as the BJP managed to secure only 240 seats while the Congress managed to better its tally from 52 to 99. The support that he expected the BJP would get from the Hindi heartland too did not materialise as Uttar Pradesh swayed towards Samajwadi Party. The BJP won only 33 seats in the state where it had won as many as 62 in the previous polls. The party even lost Faizabad parliamentary seat which falls in the Ayodhya district.
