Her party may have proved to be a non-starter and her residual cadres are in hibernation, but YSRTP founder-chief YS Sharmila never tires criticising KCR and the TRS. In fact, her criticism is more strident than the mainstream opposition parties like the Congress and the BJP. Despite all her criticism and harsh words, KCR hasn’t criticised her even once. The TRS has largely ignored her.

A strong section feel that Sharmila is acting as a secret benefactor for the TRS. They feel that she has been planted by KCR himself to take the wind from the sails of the opposition parties. It is because of this that KCR ignores her criticism. At the same time, KCR is very touchy about criticism by either Revanth Reddy or Bandi Sanjay. He even organises public meetings like the one in Janagam to counter them. But, he just ignored Sharmila.

In a latest attack on KCR, Sharmila said that he has not paid ex-gratia to any of the families of the farmers who ended their lives due to crop failure or financial distress. She said that despite High Court orders, the government has not issued ex-gratia to anyone. As expected, both KCR and the TRS leaders have largely ignored these attacks.

Political watchers say that both Sharmila and KCR have the same advisor. Poll wizard Prashant Kishor is working out political and electoral strategies for both the leaders. In fact, when PK visits Hyderabad, he stays in Lotus Pond and his team in Hyderabad operates from the Lotus Pond residence of the YS family. Interestingly, the same PK is also advising YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in AP.

With both YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh and his sister YS Sharmila in Telangana eager to rope in team PK for their image building and electoral success, Prashant Kishore is now on a mission to recruit IITians into his campaign. He is trying to get them on board to get accurate inputs and interpretation of those inputs.

Sources say that Team PK has approached the IIT in Mumbai and offered campus placement for at least 150 IITians. Sources say that he had offered 1.5 lakh per month to the recruits. He reportedly told the principal of the institution that he might require another 150 persons at a later date. Also, team PK is on the lookout for IItians from other parts of the country.

These IITians are required to interact with the people, formulate questionnaires, elicit answers and then analyse them. They would be required to evaluate the people’s responses to the slew of welfare measures put in place by YS Jagan government. These analyses will help Jagan to understand the people’s mood and then take up course correction.

As for Telangana, their role is limited to understanding public mood and suggesting strategies to Sharmila to maximise her impact. As of now, Sharmila has failed to make a mark in Telangana despite her many attempts. The initial enthusiasm that the YSRTP had generated, is gone now. The party has not succeeded in creating a buzz for itself. Hence, Team PK will advise her on how to get the buzz and make an impact.

Is the Congress banking on wrong candidates in its fight against the BJP at the national level? On Friday, two of its blue-eyed boys criticized the party and its actions. Firstly, Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was specially picked and appointed the Punjab State Congress Committee chief expressed his dissatisfaction at the way things were going on in Punjab. Then Prashant Kishor, who was expected to join the Congress soon  said the Congress has deep-rooted and structural problems. He even questioned the party’s strategy on the Lakhimpur Kheri episode.

Navjot Sindh was to start a rally from Amritsar to Lakhimpur Kheri. However, the chief minister came late to the venue. Angered by this , Sidhu screamed “where is the Congress? It is dead. There is no party.”  He also said that had he been made the CM, the situation would have been different. These comments have shown that Sidhu is not happy with the high command and that all is still not well in the Congress Party.

At about the same time, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who is now advising the Congress on taking on the BJP tweeted saying: People looking for a quick, spontaneous revival of GOP led opposition based on #LakhimpurKheri incident are setting themselves up for a big disappointment. Unfortunately there are no quick fix solutions to the deep-rooted problems and structural weakness of the GOP. The GOP referred to the Grand Old Party, which is the Congress Party.

The Congress found itself on the defensive and did not know how to react to Prashant Kishor. The confusion in the Congress party was there before the full public view.

What was poll wizard Prashant Kishore doing in the Lotus Pond? Highly placed sources say that Prashant Kishore or PK, as he is popularly known, has spent most of the day at the Lotus Pond on Thursday. Sharmila’s party YSSTP is set to be launched on Friday at 12 noon. PK’s presence a day before the launch of Sharmila’s party is being viewed with a lot of interest.

It may be recalled that PK’s camp follower Priya is planning strategies for Sharmila. She is working on catchy slogans, Sharmila’s body language, speeches and their content. She is also putting in efforts on brand creation and promotion in a big way. Given all this, PK’s appearance is being considered significant.

Between 2014 and 2019, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has allowed PK, who was then advising him, to set up his office in the Lotus Pond. A full-fledged team had operated from the same premises. In addition, an IPAC office, which is owned by PK, functioned from one of the assets of the YSR family. The same office is continuing even now, say sources.

However, there is some confusion as to why PK visited the Lotus Pond. There were reliable reports that PK was going to meet KTR soon. The meeting with KTR has two objectives. Firstly, to help TRS formulate the strategy for 2023 and 2024. Secondly, to bring all anti-BJP forces together. Normally, PK works with only one political party in one state. Given this, why did he visit Lotus Pond when he is said to already in talks with KTR? This question is being hotly debated in the political circles in both the Telugu states.

Meanwhile, Sharmila will address the inaugural meet of the YSRTP in JRC Convention Centre in the Film Nagar. A public meeting with some 1500 people would be held at 12 noon, sources close to Sharmila revealed.

Prashant Kishore is undoubtedly the most sought after political strategist in India nowadays. He seems to have lived up to the expectations yet again and even won the challenge he posed to BJP before elections. Details as follows.

When most of the media houses were carried away by the mind games of BJP and running the stories that BJP is on the verge of coming into power in West Bengal, he was the only one who very confidently said that, BJP will not even cross the double digit of seats, forget about reaching the magic number of 147. He even challenged that, if BJP gets 100 or more seats, he will quit his job as political strategist. It is known news that he provided strategy and support to Mamata Banerjee’s TMC this time.

He tweeted before elections that, “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. For all the hype AMPLIFIED by a section of supportive media, in reality BJP will struggle to CROSS DOUBLE DIGITS in #WestBengal

PS: Please save this tweet and if BJP does any better I must quit this space!”.

For all the hype AMPLIFIED by a section of supportive media, in reality BJP will struggle to CROSS DOUBLE DIGITS in #WestBengal

PS: Please save this tweet and if BJP does any better I must quit this space!

— Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) December 21, 2020

After seeing this tweet of him, everyone thought, it was really a courageous move by Prashant Kishore to throw a challenge like this. However, now the results are out, and it looks like BJP may fall short of 100 seats and Prashant Kishore is likely to win this challenge.

YSRCP’s political advisor in 2019 elections and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s ‘Man Friday’ Prashant Kishor has turned his guns on the Modi government on the handling of the corona virus in the country terming the complete lockdown a ‘botched up’ initiative.

Taking to his Twitter handle, Prashant Kishor slammed the central government on the complete lockdown and the measures initiated to contain the spread of the virus. “A botched up #lockdown and series of strategic mistakes have turned a public health issue into a full-blown humanitarian crisis. Now instead of going for a course correction that is guided by scientific evidence and data with #unlock1 we are setting ourselves for a catastrophe,” he tweeted.

Backed by data from Lockdown 1.0 to Unlock 1.0, he tried to tear into the central government saying as on March 20 there were 190 positive cases and as on May 31 the figure has gone up to 1,90,535, a 1002 times spurt in the cases. The fatality rate as on March 20 was four. However, as on May 31, the country reported 5,389 fatalities, a jump of 1,348 times. India is globally ranked at 7 in the spike in corona positive cases and 13th in the fatality rates, he noted in his tweet.

Kishor said that instead of going for a course of correction guided with scientific evidence and data, the government has announced ‘Unlock-1’. With the phase-wise reopening plan ‘we are setting ourselves for catastrophe,’ Kishor said in his Tweet.

“#lockdown to #unlock1 Covid_19India NUMBERS: इसको भी याद रखा जाएगा. Cases up 1002 times & Deaths 1348 times; Global Rank-7th & 13th. Positive is UP from 1.3 to 5, Affected Districts from 68 to 634. Cases GREW at a CDGR of 10.2% & Fatality by 10.8%; G-20 Rank: 2nd & 4th,” he tweeted.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to light candles on Sunday at 9 p.m. for nine minutes amid the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, election strategist Prashant Kishor called for a well-thought-out plan and response to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

“While we must appreciate all efforts that showcase our solidarity and demonstrate our resolve to fight Covid, these can’t be substitute for a robust, well thought-out plan and response that is rooted in scientific evidence and is guided by data and best professional experience,” Kishor said in a tweet.

His remarks came after Modi on Friday once again reached out to the nation amid the 21-day nationwide lockdown and urged people to light a candle or “diya” on April 5 at 9 p.m. for nine minutes to dispel the darkness and gloom brought about by the outbreak of the deadly novel coronavirus.

“This Sunday, April 5, we have to challenge the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to introduce it to the power of light,” PM Modi said in an address to the nation.

“We have to take Mahasankalp (the supreme oath) by 130 crore citizens to new heights. I want your 9 minutes at 9 p.m. on April 5,” Modi said.

He then asked Indians to switch off lights in their homes, reach out from their windows, gates or balconies and light a candle or diya for 9 minutes. Even torches and mobile phone lights would also do. “Switch off every light in the house, reach to your main gate or balcony and light a candle, diya, torch or your mobile’s flash for 9 minutes,” Modi said.

On Friday, the total number of Covid-19 cases in India reached 2301 with 56 deaths and 156 cured.

A Patna court on Saturday rejected the bail plea of political strategist Prashant Kishor in a fraud case involving content theft.

Complainant Shashwat Gautam had accused the expelled Janata Dal-United leader and his staff Osama of content theft for Kishor’s “Baat Bihar Ki’ campaign and lodged a fraud case with the Patliputra police station.

Osama had fought the Patna University students union elections. He had resigned from Kishor’s project that was set to be launched in future. He had allegedly handed over all the content related to the project to Kishor.

Kishor had moved the city court to seek bail in the case, which the court rejected after Saturday’s hearing.