Prashant Kishor, Karan Thapar clash during heated interview over Himachal poll prediction
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‘Can handle 4 like you’, says poll strategist who handled BJP’s 2014 campaign when Modi became PM
As anticipation builds ahead of the Lok Sabha election results on June 4, political analysts are in high demand. Among them, Prashant Kishor, a prominent election strategist who handled the BJP’s poll strategy in 2014 when then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, has been particularly sought after for his insights. However, a recent interview with veteran journalist Karan Thapar on ‘The Wire’ has sparked widespread discussion and debate on social media.
Giving clear majority to BJP
During the interview, a heated exchange between Kishor and Thapar took an unexpected turn, leading to a viral moment. The altercation began when Thapar interrupted Kishor’s response to a question about the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming elections. Kishor had asserted that the BJP’s seat count was unlikely to decrease significantly (from 303 currently), citing their strongholds in the north-western states and potential gains in the south-eastern regions.
Thapar challenged Kishor’s confidence in his prediction. Kishor responded affirmatively, stating his confidence was as strong as ever. Thapar then brought up Kishor’s past prediction during the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections where Kishor had claimed the Congress would be decisively defeated. Contrary to Kishor’s prediction, the Congress went on to form the government in Himachal Pradesh.
Clash video goes viral
The exchange quickly escalated, with Kishor demanding video evidence to support Thapar’s insinuations and defending his analytical approach. Kishor even said that he was capable enough to handle four journalists like Thapar at a time, and that he wasn’t somebody who would walk out of the interview.
The video clip of their argument has since gone viral, sparking a flood of reactions on social media. Some viewers sided with Thapar, commending his probing questions, while others supported Kishor, praising his confidence and experience. Incidentally, PM Modi (then Gujarat CM) had walked out of Thapar’s interview on ‘CNN-IBN’ (now ‘CNN-News18’) when questioned on the Godhra (Gujarat) riots.
