Sonia Gandhi To Decide On Prashant Kishor’s Entry As Congress Leaders Remain Divided: Sources

With a stellar record, Kishor may soon make entry into the Congress, and is likely to get appointed as General Secretary in charge of election management.

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi will decide on inducting Poll strategist Prashant Kishor, the man behind the successful campaign of Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, in the party as the leaders remain divided over the issue. The interim president has already started the consultation process.

With speculations that Kishor is seeking a full-fledged role and decision-making authority on election-related issues, party leaders seem to be wary of giving free hand to one person on the selection of candidates, as per sources.

What made Congress turn to Prashant Kishor?

In its attempt to turn around the Congress party's image after two poll debacles, the party is actively looking for advisors. The party lost an ace strategist with the demise of veteran Ahmed Patel.

The election strategist has met the Congress leaderships including the former president Rahul Gandhi a few times to discuss the party's revival ahead of Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year in states including Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

Rahul Gandhi has also discussed the plan with the Congress leaders and sought their advice for Kishor's entry into the party, besides responsibilities to be given to him, according to the party leaders who were part of these deliberations.

Kishor, who has also met General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and interim chief Sonia Gandhi, for deliberations has shared a plan with the Congress leadership and the talking points are being discussed among the senior leaders.

With a stellar record, Kishor may soon make entry into the Congress and is likely to get appointed as General Secretary in charge of election management, according to party sources.

However, seniors have opined that giving sole responsibility of elections to one person is not a good idea as Kishor cannot be trusted in totality. On the other hand, there have been no voices raised against his induction into the party.

It is reported that Kishor met Rahul Gandhi on July 13 and submitted his plan, and several rounds of meetings have taken place within the party, and certain sections of the party believe his skills may be used in the elections.

The Congress is gearing up for polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa, and some northeastern states next year. Kishor has recently handled campaigns of the Trinamool Congress, the DMK and the YSRCP and has relations across party lines.