Election strategist Prashant Kishor on Friday attended a closed-door meeting that Mamata Banerjee held with Trinamul’s West Midnapore leaders to analyse election results, making his first appearance at a political event of the party.

The presence of Kishor at the meeting in Trinamul Bhavan became a talking point.

“He did not say anything but observed the proceedings keenly. As she (Mamata) admonished the leaders over the losses in West Midnapore, he was seen looking around for reactions,” said a source present at the meeting.

The discussions were largely held in Bengali, though Mamata often switched to English.

Kishor, sources said, has a working understanding of Bengali.

Trinamul lost Midnapore and Jhargram, two of West Midnapore’s three Lok Sabha seats, to the BJP in the general election and Friday’s discussions revolved around why the party performed poorly in an area that used to be its bastion not long ago.

“We knew Kishor was on board for strategising ahead of (the) 2021 (Assembly polls). Today’s exercise gave his induction legitimacy…. This is significant,” the source said.

Kishor arrived with Mamata’s nephew and Trinamul youth wing chief Abhishek Banerjee a little after the meeting began and left with them once it was over.

Earlier this month, Kishor has held at least two rounds of talks with Mamata and Abhishek in her Nabanna office.

Kishor helms I-PAC, an apolitical platform of professionals that offers a range of election-related consultancy services. The organisation’s feedback, based on ground-level assessment of the public’s mood, plays a role in deciding the client’s campaign strategy and focus areas.

Kishor is also a national vice-president of the Janata Dal United, a BJP ally.

At Friday’s meeting with the West Midnapore leaders, Mamata repeated warnings against graft and said she would initiate stern action against those taking “cut money”, said sources.

“She said some leaders have given in to the temptation of money and sabotaged the party’s prospects. She ordered them to leave the party for the BJP instead of staying back and hurting it from within,” said a Trinamul leader.

“She repeatedly warned us against corruption and again ordered refund of cut money by those who have taken it. She said she would have even MLAs and MPs arrested if cut money allegations were substantiated,” the leader added.

Mamata’s June 18 diktat to Trinamul councillors to refund “cut money” had generated speculation that the idea came from Kishor. There is, however, no confirmation that the consultant was behind the move. The diktat has triggered agitations across Bengal for such refunds, with some of them turning violent.

In a speech in the Assembly on Wednesday, Mamata had referred to the issue and asserted she was well within her rights to send a message of “purification” to her party functionaries. She accused the Opposition and a section of the media of misrepresenting her message to create trouble.On Friday, Mamata also rapped the West Midnapore leaders over “factional feuds, complacency and disconnect with the masses”, said the sources.