A fresh controversy around the West Bengal elections surfaced in the wee hours of Saturday (April 10) after a discussion between Prashant Kishor, the key strategist for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, and some other people, including renowned journalists and lawyers, leaked online.

In the leaked Clubhouse audio, Kishor can be heard saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys huge popularity in West Bengal and that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will possibly sway 50-55 percent of Hindu votes. The audio leak comes on the day when voting is underway for 44 assembly seats in the fourth phase of the West Bengal elections.

Here are a few of the things that Prashant Kishor said during the chat:

Modi is popular in Bengal. Hindi-speaking people here have more than one crore votes. Dalits are 27 percent and they stand with the BJP fully. Plus, there is definitely polarisation.

Matuas (‘lower caste’ Hindu refugees from Bangladesh) will be predominantly voting for the BJP... I feel it will be 75 BJP to 25 Trinamool.

BJP has many workers on the ground and they may all be imported from the Left Front but they are working dedicatedly for the saffron fold. There is no area in Bengal where BJP does not have a strong cadre.

There is anti-incumbency against the state government but not against the BJP-led central government in West Bengal. There are some people for whom Modi is a God figure. There is a cult of Modi in the entire country.

Meanwhile, Kishor has reacted to the controversy in a tweet saying, “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 CROSS 100 in WB. Period.”

I am glad BJP is taking my chat more seriously than words of their own leaders!