“Won’t Predict Election Seats Again”: Prashant Kishor Admits Lok Sabha Poll Prediction Blunder

New Delhi: Election strategist Prashant Kishor has candidly acknowledged his inaccurate assessment of the 2024 Lok Sabha election results, stating, “Yes, I and other pollsters missed the mark. We’re willing to accept our mistake,” during an interview.

Prior to the June 4 Lok Sabha election results, Kishor had anticipated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might achieve a seat tally akin to or even surpassing its 2019 count of 303.

Contrary to projections, the Lok Sabha election results were starkly different, with the BJP’s seat count dropping to 240, below its previous election performance. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the saffron party, now relies on coalition partners such as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) for a majority in the lower house, holding 293 seats as of now.

Kishor, who had advised the BJP to victory in the 2014 general elections, announced during the interview that he would refrain from making future seat predictions. He admitted that his projections had “significantly missed the mark” in various crucial areas.

Despite the numerical error, Kishor highlighted that BJP’s vote share remained consistent, only decreasing by 0.7%, indicating a status quo in voter sentiment.

Reflecting on the absence of a robust opposition campaign, Kishor remarked on the creation of a status quo with some expansion in eastern and southern regions.