‘No Talk of Money’: Mamata Hints Prashant Kishor Helping TMC Free of Cost Ahead of 2021 Bengal Polls

Kolkata: Political strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been roped in by Trinamool Congress for the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, may not charge any money for his services, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has hinted.

Kishor may extend his service to the Trinamool Congress as a part of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR), she said.

In an interview to a TV channel, Banerjee, in the context of Kishor, said, “It is not necessary that everybody works for money.”

Asked why Banerjee, an immensely popular leader who understands the pulse of the public in Bengal, needs Kishor to chalk out a political strategy, she said, “This is party’s internal matter and I don’t want to discuss it. Those who are in the corporate sector do CSR activities. It may be possible that it is his CSR initiative. Taka niye kono kotha hoy nai (There was no talk on money).”

“If someone wants to work willingly without asking for money, what is the problem? Let him work,” she added.

Banerjee held a two-hour meeting with the poll strategist in Kolkata on June 7, days after TMC’s debacle in the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal. The meeting between the two assumed special significance, given the rise of the BJP in Bengal and the political threat that its rise poses for her.

The TMC suffered a massive setback by securing only 22 Lok Sabha seats (from the 34 seats it won in 2014) out of 42, while the BJP went up from two to 18 seats.

Having worked for the BJP, Congress and YSR Congress Party, Kishor has multiple electoral victories to his credit. His first major campaign was in 2011 when he secured the victory of Narendra Modi in Gujarat for a third term.

Known as the 'Chanakya of Indian politics', Kishor came to limelight when he helped Modi and the BJP win the 2014 general elections. Since 2014, Kishor has helped elect to power Nitish Kumar in Bihar, Amarinder Singh in Punjab and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh.