Three-month long talks ended in a fiasco
Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
New Delhi, Sep 29
The Talks between Poll strategist Prashant Kishore and the Congress leadership ended in a fiasco as the two sides could not reach an understanding. Kishore told the Congress leadership, " I can't wait indefinitely."
Sources close to Prashant Kishore say that Rahul Gandhi was undecided and kept extending the date of his entry into the party. Kishore’s entry into the Congress as its key poll strategist gained credence after he met Sonia Gandhi in early July. The Congress leadership sought time so that it could consult other senior leaders. It is learnt that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was very keen to induct Kishore. But Rahul Gandhi was taking his own time.
Kishore was also instrumental in the massive victory of TMC leader Mamata Banerjee in a bitter battle with BJP in the West Bengal Assembly polls. Thereafter, he had also met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar who was keen to do business with him and held a couple of meetings. Kishore was also the official poll strategist of Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh and helped him sweep polls. He was also Capt. Amarinder Singh’s adviser in Punjab in 2017 and played a key role in his win in the Assembly polls.
However, he had been looking for a role in a national party and his talks proceeded well with the Gandhis. But many of the CWC members including A K Antony expressed serious reservations about creating a post for him. One of the reasons was that “he is a professional pollster and his services should be hired rather than inducting him inside the party.”
Kishor had a botched up relationship with the BJP in 2014 afterModi’s big win. Even with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), his sting couldn’t last longer.
