Since%20Mamata%20Banerjee%27s%20sound%20thrashing%20of%20the%20BJP%20in%20West%20Bengal%2C%20her%20poll%20strategist%20Prashant%20Kishor%20has%20said%20in%20multiple%20interviews%20that%20Prime%20Minister%20Narendra%20Modi%20has%20limited%20electoral%20appeal%2C%20Home%20Minister%20Amit%20Shah%20is%20overrated%20as%20a%20strategist%20and%20that%20he%20does%20not%20hold%20a%20magic%20wand%20to%20swing%20votes.%20He%20also%20said%20that%20West%20Bengal%20choosing%20status%20quo%20has%20a%20lot%20to%20do%20with%20the%20Mamata%20Banerjee%20government%27s%20delivery%20on%20pro-poor%20schemes.
One%20may%20agree%20partially%20or%20fully%20with%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/prashant-kishore-says-he-wants-to-quit-this-space-of-election-strategy%22%3EPrashant%20Kishor%20%3C/a%3Eor%20PK%20as%20he%20is%20popularly%20known%2C%20but%20the%20big%20question%20is%20whether%20all%20the%20issues%20of%20poor%20governance%2C%20corruption%20and%20extortion%20raised%20by%20the%20BJP%20in%20its%20campaign%20against%20Mamata%27s%20decade-old%20rule%20were%20untrue%2C%20since%20her%20party%20has%20won%20213%20seats%2C%20two%20more%20than%20she%20had%20won%20in%202016.
%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%7C%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/khela-hobe-to-khela-shesh-how-mamata-banerjee-thumped-the-bjp%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EKhela%20Hobe%20to%20Khela%20Shesh%3A%20How%20Mamata%20Banerjee%20thumped%20the%20BJP%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
Or%20were%20Modi%27s%20rant%20against%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/west-bengal-assembly-election-results-mamata-banerjee-pm-narendra-modi-bjp-tmc-khela-hobe%22%3EMamata%20%3C/a%3Ein%20all%20his%20rallies%20counter-productive%3F%20Did%20the%20BJP%20misread%20the%20large%20crowds%20at%20its%20rallies%20as%20a%20harbinger%20of%20change%3F%20Was%20the%20hubris%20of%20the%20BJP%20%28as%20exemplified%20by%20the%20campaign%20styles%20of%20Modi%20and%20Amit%20Shah%29%20the%20real%20reason%20for%20it%20failing%20to%20in%20its%20Mission%20Bengal%3F%20%26nbsp%3B
A%20closer%20reading%20of%20the%20results%20in%20different%20constituencies%20show%20a%20variety%20of%20reasons%20for%20the%20BJP%27s%20failure%20to%20do%20as%20well%20as%20it%20expected%20and%20being%20outsmarted%20by%20Mamata%20Banerjee%20on%20several%20counts.%20The%20BJP%27s%20election%20of%20candidates%20was%20faulty%20and%20the%20party%20depended%20too%20much%20on%20the%20possibility%20that%20Hindu%20voters%20would%20be%20polarised.%20%26nbsp%3B
%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20read%20%7C%20%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/will-mamata-banerjee-return-to-bhabanipur-her-seat-since-2011%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EWill%20Mamata%20Banerjee%20return%20to%20Bhabanipur%2C%20her%20seat%20since%202011%3F%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
In%20fact%2C%20Bengal%27s%20Muslim%20voters%20consolidated%20in%20favour%20of%20the%20Trinamool%20Congress%20in%20over%20100%20constituencies%20where%20they%20are%20a%20decisive%20factor%2C%20giving%20it%20a%20bigger%20advantage%20over%20the%20BJP.
A%20number%20of%20Hindu%20voters%20who%20were%20formerly%20supporters%20of%20the%20Left%20or%20the%20Congress%20and%20switched%20over%20to%20the%20BJP%20in%20the%202019%20Lok%20Sabha%20polls%2C%20returned%20to%20these%20parties%20rather%20than%20the%20BJP.
%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/what-hurt-bjp-in-bengal-weak-candidates-lack-of-cm-face-says-prashant-kishors-ipac%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%3C/strong%3E%7C%20%3Cstrong%3EWhat%20hurt%20BJP%20in%20Bengal%3F%20%27Man%20of%20the%20Match%27%20Prashant%20Kishor%27s%20IPAC%20explains%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
As%20Kishor%20explained%20in%20one%20of%20his%20interviews%20soon%20after%20the%20results%2C%20Muslim%20votes%20totally%20consolidated%20in%20favour%20of%20Mamata.%20So%20did%20voters%20like%20the%20Matua%20community%20who%20were%20targeted%20by%20the%20BJP.%20%26nbsp%3BBut%20less%20than%2050%20per%20cent%20of%20Hindu%20voters%20chose%20to%20be%20with%20the%20BJP.%20The%20rest%20went%20with%20Mamata.%20The%20BJP%27s%20voter%20support%20dipped%20by%20three%20percent%20in%20these%20elections%20compared%20to%20the%202019%20polls.%20%26nbsp%3B
Also%2C%20the%20BJP%20did%20not%20gain%20much%20from%20importing%20leaders%20and%20candidates%20from%20the%20Trinamool%20Congress.%20It%20was%2C%20in%20fact%2C%20counter-productive%20in%20many%20seats.%20Barring%20three%2C%20all%20former%20Trinamool%20Congress%20leaders%20and%20legislators%20who%20were%20fielded%20as%20candidates%20by%20the%20BJP%2C%20lost%20in%20the%20assembly%20elections.%20Of%20course%2C%20Mamata%u2019s%20prot%E9g%E9-turned-adversary%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/mamata-banerjee-loses-nandigram-says-will-move-court-to-expose-manipulations%22%3ESuvendu%20Adhikari%20%3C/a%3Emanaged%20to%20defeat%20her%20in%20%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/west-bengal-assembly-election-2021-why-all-eyes-are-on-nandigram%22%3ENandigram%3C/a%3E.%20Adhikari%20had%20joined%20the%20BJP%20in%20December%202020.%20Also%2C%20BJP%20national%20vice%20president%20Mukul%20Roy%2C%20who%20joined%20the%20party%20after%20quitting%20TMC%20in%202017%2C%20won%20from%20Krishnanagar%20defeating%20TMC%u2019s%20actor-turned-candidate%20Koushani%20Mukherjee.%20At%20Natabari%20in%20north%20Bengal%2C%20former%20TMC%20legislator%20Mihir%20Goswami%2C%20who%20joined%20BJP%20in%20November%202020%2C%20was%20a%20big%20success.
But%20all%20the%20others%20lost%20%u2013%20be%20it%20former%20minister%20Rajib%20Banerjee%2C%20a%20prominent%20face%20of%20the%20Singur%20movement%20Rabindranath%20Bhattacharya%20or%20Mukul%20Roy%u2019s%20son%20Subhranshu%20Roy.%20In%20Bhabanipur%20in%20south%20Kolkata%2C%20Mamata%u2019s%20home%20turf%2C%20the%20BJP%20had%20fielded%20Trinamool%20Congress%20%28TMC%29%20turncoat%20Rudranil%20Ghosh%20against%20veteran%20TMC%20leader%20and%20state%20power%20minister%20Sovandeb%20Chatterjee.%20Ghosh%20lost.%20Former%20TMC%20legislators%20who%20joined%20the%20BJP%2C%20such%20as%20Baishali%20Dalmiya%20from%20Bally%2C%20Dipak%20Kumar%20Halder%20from%20Diamond%20Harbour%2C%20Prabir%20Ghosal%20from%20Uttarpara%20and%20Biswajit%20Kundu%20from%20Kalna%2C%20also%20lost.%20%26nbsp%3B
%3Cstrong%3EAlso%20Read%3A%26nbsp%3B%3C/strong%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20rel%3D%22noopener%20noreferrer%22%20href%3D%22https%3A//opoyi.com/whats-next-for-mamata-banerjee-if-she-loses-nandigram%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhat%27s%20next%20for%20Mamata%20Banerjee%20now%20that%20she%20has%20lost%20Nandigram%3C/strong%3E%3C/a%3E
At%20least%20140%20Trinamool%20Congress%20leaders%2C%20including%20around%2037%20legislators%2C%20had%20joined%20the%20BJP%20since%202017.%20Many%20who%20joined%20just%20ahead%20of%20the%20elections%20were%20fielded%20by%20the%20BJP.%20Mamata%20repeatedly%20attacked%20the%20defectors%2C%20calling%20them%20%22traitors%22and%20alleging%20that%20many%20of%20them%20were%20neck-deep%20in%20corruption.
The%20BJP%20was%20helpless%20as%20Mamata%20played%20her%20card%20of%20being%20%22daugher%20of%20Bengal%22%20and%20her%20campaign%20on%20a%20wheel-chair%20after%20she%20suffered%20an%20injury%20in%20Nandidgram%29%20gave%20her%20party%20a%20big%20boost.%20%27Bangla%20nijer%20meyekei%20chay%27%20%28Bengal%20wants%20her%20daughter%29%20slogan%20found%20resonance%20with%20the%20people.%20That%20saw%20West%20Bengal%27s%20over%203.7%20crore%20women%20voters%2C%2049%20per%20cent%20of%20the%20electorate%2C%20stand%20by%20her.
Mamata%20said%20her%20government%27s%20200%20women-centric%20schemes%20such%20as%20Kanyashree%20and%20Rupashree%2C%20which%20grant%20funds%20for%20education%20and%20marriage%2C%20and%20Sabooj%20Sathi%20which%20gives%20bicycles%20for%20girl%20students%20and%20education%20loans%2C%20would%20favour%20her.%20They%20did.%20%26nbsp%3B
The%20BJP%20did%20not%20realise%20that%20since%20the%202019%20Lok%20Sabha%20polls%2C%20when%20the%20BJP%20gave%20her%20a%20scare%20winning%2018%20of%20the%20state%27s%20seats%20to%20the%20Trinamool%27s%2022%2C%20Mamata%2C%20aided%20by%20Prashant%20Kishor%20and%20his%20team%2C%20began%20to%20work%20on%20the%20ground%20swell%20of%20anger%20against%20several%20lower%20level%20TMC%20leaders%20who%20were%20often%20accused%20of%20petty%20corruption%20in%20execution%20of%20public%20welfare%20schemes.
Kishor%20came%20up%20with%20the%20%27.Didi%20Ke%20Bolo%27%20%28Tell%20Didi%29%20campaign%20under%20which%20citizens%20could%20directly%20approach%20Mamata%20with%20their%20grievances.%20Kishor%27s%20team%20also%20gave%20inputs%20about%20candidates%2C%20which%20saw%20Mamata%20drop%20many%20senior%20leaders%20and%20bring%20new%20faces.%20She%20was%20also%20asked%20to%20tackle%20corruption%20in%20the%20middle%20and%20lower%20rungs%20of%20the%20party%2C%20following%20BJP%27s%20accusation%20of%20large-scale%20irregularities%20in%20distribution%20of%20relief%20following%20cyclone%20Amphan.
The%20BJP%20also%20paid%20a%20heavy%20price%20for%20its%20inability%20to%20project%20strong%20local%20faces%20as%20its%20campaign%20was%20largely%20seen%20as%20dominated%20by%20Modi%20and%20Amit%20Shah.%26nbsp%3B
Undoubtedly%2C%20Mamata%20will%20emerge%20from%20this%20assembly%20election%20as%20one%20of%20India%u2019s%20most%20powerful%20regional%20leaders.%20She%20is%20bound%20to%20work%20for%20unity%2C%20especially%20among%20all%20the%20non-Congress%20and%20non-BJP%20political%20forces.
Modi%20was%20hoping%20that%20West%20Bengal%20would%20come%20under%20his%20influence%20in%20his%20second%20term%2C%20just%20as%20Uttar%20Pradesh%20was%20won%20by%20the%20BJP%20in%20his%20first%20term.%20He%20campaigned%20extensively%20in%20the%20state%2C%20even%20at%20a%20time%20of%20the%20pandemic.%20He%20challenged%20Mamata%20by%20promising%20a%20sonar%20%28golden%29%20Bengal%20if%20the%20BJP%20won.%20But%20the%20people%20decided%20to%20stick%20by%20their%20Didi.%20The%20BJP%20made%20a%20big%20mistake%20by%20making%20this%20election%20a%20contest%20between%20the%20PM%20and%20Mamata.
%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23MamataBanerjee%22%20data-user-id%3D%22LMdWDJPhBJGM%22%20href%3D%22/topic/mamatabanerjee%22%3E%23MamataBanerjee%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23BJP%22%20data-user-id%3D%22cqfihWqpWO59%22%20href%3D%22/topic/bjp%22%3E%23BJP%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23WestBengalElection2021%22%20data-user-id%3D%22HZsosNN9ZTPW%22%20href%3D%22/topic/westbengalelection2021%22%3E%23WestBengalElection2021%3C/a%3E%20%3Ca%20class%3D%22mention%22%20data-mention%3D%22%23NarendraModi%22%20data-user-id%3D%222Mx5OKBUbZfx%22%20href%3D%22/topic/narendramodi%22%3E%23NarendraModi%3C/a%3E%26nbsp%3B
