Political strategist-turned-activist, Prashant Kishor, delivered a cautionary message to the Congress party, urging them not to misinterpret their victory in the Karnataka assembly polls as an indication of their performance in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Kishor, known for his strategic expertise and the founder of the Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC), shared his statement through 'Jan Suraaj,' a political campaign initiated in his home state of Bihar.

Drawing attention to historical precedents, he reminded the Congress party that their triumph in the 2013 Karnataka elections did not translate into success in the 2014 Parliamentary elections, in which they lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Furthermore, he highlighted the party's loss in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, despite their victory in three significant states a year prior.

"I congratulate the Congress upon its success in Karnataka. But I would also like to caution leaders and workers of the party against mistaking the assembly poll outcome for a hint of what lies in store in Lok Sabha polls," NDTV reported quoting Kishor, who recently halted his statewide pada-yatra due to a muscle tear in his leg.

Currently in a state of recovery at an undisclosed location, Kishor substantiated his point about the Congress' prospects in the Lok Sabha polls by presenting statistical evidence.

Kishor recollected the scenario in Uttar Pradesh, where the Samajwadi Party secured a clear majority in the 2012 state elections. However, two years later, in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) swept the state, capturing 73 out of the 80 seats. This example served to emphasize that state-level victories do not necessarily guarantee success at the national level.

Furthermore, he drew attention to the 2013 Karnataka assembly elections, in which the Congress party secured a majority. Despite this triumph, they faced a resounding defeat at the hands of the BJP in the subsequent Lok Sabha elections.

Similarly, Kishor mentioned the Congress' success in the 2018 assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. However, a few months later, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party's performance in these states was dismal.

Prashant Kishor, a 45-year-old political analyst and strategist, has been involved in numerous election campaigns, working with leaders from across the political spectrum, such as Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar, Arvind Kejriwal, M K Stalin, and Jaganmohan Reddy.

Following the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls, where his client Mamata Banerjee achieved her best-ever electoral performance, Kishor stepped away from active political engagements.

The initiation of the 'Jan Suraaj' campaign resulted from protracted but unsuccessful negotiations with senior Congress leaders.

Kishor had attempted to convince them of the need to revitalise and rejuvenate the grand old party. However, his efforts did not yield the desired outcome, prompting him to launch his independent political campaign to bring about positive change in the Indian political landscape.

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