Taking a step closer to formally joining the Congress, election strategist Prashant Kishor on Saturday gave a detailed presentation to party chief Sonia Gandhi and other senior senior leaders on what could be the principal Opposition party’s strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
The meeting, attended by top leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mallikarjun Kharge, Ambika Soni, Digivijaya Singh, Jairam Ramesh, Ajay Maken and Mukul Wasnik, was held at Ms. Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence.
The meeting seems to be part of the party’s revival plan that will be discussed at a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting before it is finalised for a chintan shivir (introspection camp), expected next month in Rajasthan.
“Prashant Kishor has made a detailed presentation for the 2024 election strategy. It needs some detailed discussion and the Congress president will set up a small group to discuss this entire presentation. That group will submit a report within a week’s time for a final decision,” the party’s general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal told presspersons.
On the specific question of Mr. Kishor joining the party, Mr. Venugopal said everything would be known in a week.
The poll strategist’s equation with the Congress has seen several flip-flops over the past one year: from being reported that he would join the party on October 2 last year to being blamed for engineering the switchover of senior leaders like Mukul Sangma (Meghalaya) and Luizinho Faleiro (Goa) to the Trinamool Congress, with whom Mr. Kishor has been working for a couple of years.
But talks of joining resumed after the Congress was decimated in the recent round of Assembly polls in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa.
With the Gandhis facing questions over their leadership, the party could be banking on Mr. Kishor’s prescription to revive the party in the long run as well as help the party fight the next round of Assembly elections.
For the upcoming election in Gujarat, he is said to have suggested the induction of Naresh Patel, an influential Patidar leader from the State.
Sources claimed Mr. Kishor expressed his willingness to join the Congress “without any expectations” but wanted the party to implement his plan to strengthen it at the grass roots. For the 2024 battle, he is understood to have told the leadership to focus on 350 to 370 Lok Sabha constituencies alone and work on strengthening its base in these seats.
Mr. Kishor is said to have suggested that the party go it alone in the Assembly elections in States where it is strong and has either won or come second in previous elections.
In States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha, the poll strategist is said to have suggested a completely new start, while in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal, the Congress should stick to alliances.
Arguing that BJP doesn’t win only on the basis of communal polarisation, Mr. Kishor is said to pitched for an overhaul of communication strategy and political narrative.
The group of 23 leaders (G-23) — the ginger group pushing for internal reforms — questioned the basis of inviting a select group of leaders to attend the meeting with Mr. Kishor. “This conscious exclusion of G-23 members will deepen the sense of distrust and divide within the party. After all, we were the ones who talked about reforms and collective leadership,” said a G-23 member.
