Poll strategist & JDU VP Prashant Kishor likely to strategise poll campaign for Shiv Sena

Prashant Kishor was associated with the 2014 win of Narendra Modi. He then worked for the JD(U)-RJD-Congress grand alliance in Bihar, which handed the BJP anembarrassing defeat in the 2015 state polls.

Maharashtra: JD(U) Vice President and election strategist Prashant Kishor met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at the latter's residence in Mumbai earlier today. PIC/ANI.

Mumbai: Poll strategist and JDU Vice-President Prashant Kishor on Tuesday met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in Matoshree and is likely to strategise poll campaign for the party. The meeting at Thackeray’s residence lasted for about one and a half hours. As per reports, Sena is implacable and adamant about being given the "big brother" status in the alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra. The party is also leaving no opportunity to attack the Modi government over core issues. Reports say Kishor will also act as a mediator between the Shiv Sena and the BJP on the question of the division of seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Sena, however, has dubbed the meeting as a courtesy visit. “He is a leader of one of NDA's allies and he met Uddhav ji in that regard. See it as a courtesy visit and not a political visit,” said Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP. Prashant Kishor was appointed as the Janata Dal United’s vice president last October, effectively making him the second most powerful person in the party after Nitish Kumar. Kishor was associated with the 2014 win of Narendra Modi. He then worked for the JD(U)-RJD-Congress grand alliance in Bihar, which handed the BJP an embarrassing defeat in the 2015 state polls. Kishor had worked with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh as a poll strategist before joining the Janata Dal (United). He described the appointment of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as Congress' general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East as "one of the most awaited entries in Indian politics".