New Delhi: Poll strategist Prashant Kishor credited the BJP for shifting the election discourse to aim for 370 seats, rather than merely crossing the halfway mark in the Lok Sabha.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia, Kishor noted that failing to achieve this target could potentially disappoint the stock market.
"When the expectation from a company is very high and they do not meet that despite performing well, the stock market punishes them. From this point of view, if the BJP scores less than 370 seats, this may become a talking point. The markets too may reflect this," the poll strategist said.
Earlier, on May 13, Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah showed confidence in his party returning to power for the third time in a row and said the Indian stock market will create new records on June 4.
Kishor, who earlier had worked with PM Modi and the BJP during the 2014 elections, has predicted a victory for the ruling party in the ongoing elections. He described the BJP's 370-seat target as a "smart" move that has effectively shifted the election discourse in their favour.
"In the past three to four months, the focus has shifted to discussions of '370' and 'crossing 400'. Whether it's due to BJP's strategy or the Opposition's weakness, the BJP has successfully moved the goalpost from 272 to 370 seats".
"This shift has benefitted the BJP, as now the conversation is no longer about whether Modi ji will lose, but rather about whether they will achieve 370 seats," Prashant Kishor said.
However, Kishor noted that even if the BJP secures 320 seats or any number below their 370-seat target, the party will still be able to form the government.
In the 543-seat Lok Sabha, a party or coalition needs to surpass the halfway mark of 272 seats to establish a government at the centre.