BJP's Biggest Strength In Elections According To Prashant Kishor
NDTV
Prashant Kishor said, "This hyper-nationalism thing. It's as important if not more, increasingly, as Hindutva."
The BJP has pitched a "formidable narrative" leveraging issues of Hindutva, hyper-nationalism and public welfare, and opposition parties stand very little chance unless they can outweigh it on at least two of these fronts, election strategist Prashant Kishor said on Monday.
"BJP's popularity is not just a function of Hindutva. It is one of the most important elements. Two [other] elements which we need to factor in are one - this hyper-nationalism thing. It's as important if not more, increasingly, as Hindutva. And then [secondly] you have welfarism," he said in an interview to NDTV.
"The household and individual level welfarism, nationalism and Hinduism - put together, it's quite a formidable narrative. Unless you have the ability, through your own narrative, to better two of them, you stand very little chance against the BJP," Mr Kishor said.
"BJP underperforms in assembly elections - one of the reasons is that this nationalism element doesn't work and you have sub-regionalism as an element to counter that. When it comes to the national elections, this nationalism [issue] allows them to overcome all those limitations," he said.
