In recent months, the online audio interaction app Clubhouse has triggered a buzz with celebrities and tech CEOs embracing it. The invite-only iOS app allows users to host their own online radio shows. Listeners can tune in to hear interviews or panel discussions and ask to participate in live chats.
However, on Saturday morning, Clubhouse was in the news for a different reason: BJP leaders were sharing clips of an event on Friday that featured poll strategist Prashant Kishor and a number of prominent journalists. Kishor has been actively involved in planning the strategy of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the ongoing state polls.
Kishor, who once advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his maiden national campaign, had repeatedly said he would quit Twitter if the BJP crossed double figures in the West Bengal polls.
However, the clips of the Clubhouse event shared by BJP leaders purportedly had Kishor acknowledging a tough fight in West Bengal.
Amit Malviya, the chief of the BJP's IT operations, tweeted a number of clips of the Clubhouse event.
In one clip, Kishor claimed up to "75 per cent of the Matua community would vote for the BJP" and even his organisation's surveys claimed people thought BJP would form the government in the state.
Malviya wrote, "In a public chat on Club House, Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist concedes that even in TMC’s internal surveys, BJP is winning. The vote is for Modi, polarisation is a reality, the SCs (27% of WB’s population), Matuas are all voting for the BJP! BJP has cadre on ground."
In another clip, Kishor noted "For 20 years, there has been blatant effort and everything has been done to appease the minority." Referring to West Bengal, Kishor claimed the dictum was “whoever the Muslims voted for, would form the government". Kishor noted that all the political ecosystems—Congress, Left and TMC—were geared to getting Muslim votes. About this clip, Malviya tweeted, "Another candid admission by Mamata Banerjee’s election strategist - all that the Left, Congress and TMC ecosystem have done in the last 20 years is Muslim appeasement. Implication? It has resulted to resentment on ground. The speakers had not realised that the chat was public!"
In a third clip shared by Malviya, Kishor is heard saying, "There is a cult of Modi in the nation... The Hindi speakers (in Bengal) are the core base of Modi... Modi and Mamata are equally popular.” The clip was also shared by Kailash Vijayavargiya, the BJP in-charge for West Bengal.
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Kishor took to Twitter and demanded that the BJP release the entire event transcript and alleged the saffron party had selectively used it. Kishor tweeted, "I am glad BJP is taking my chat more seriously than words of their own leaders! They should show courage & share the full chat instead of getting excited with selective use of parts of it. I have said this before & repeating again - BJP will not to CROSS 100 in WB. Period."
Kishor was supported by some journalists who participated in the event, such as Sakshi Joshi.
Joshi tweeted "Prashant Kishore said Mamata is winning... Modi is a popular leader and whatever votes they r getting are in his name... Women are with Mamata, if women outdo male voters she might have 200 +... BJP will have less than 100.”
