News Analysis India

Tag: Prashant Kishor

  • Newly-elected Bihar MLC Sachchidanand Rai meets Prashant Kishor, discusses state’s economic issues

    Express News Service

    PATNA: Newly elected member of Bihar legislative council Sachchidanand Rai on Sunday called on political strategist turned political activist Prashant Kishor at the latter’s residence in Patna, creating ripples in political circles in the state.

    Rai got elected from Saran seat despite strong opposition from BJP, the party he remained associated with ahead of the legislative council election. 

    Rai contested as independent candidate after ticket denied to him from the seat he had represented earlier. He finally emerged victorious for the second consecutive term.

    Rai’s win came as a setback for the BJP, which could win only six out of 12 seats it had contested in the election. 

    Denial of ticket to Rai antagonized upper caste voters, who didn’t support the BJP’s official nominee Dharmendra Kumar, who stood third in the elections.

    Rai in his statement said that he was pleased to see Kishor, who recently launched ‘Jan Suraaj’ (good governance) campaign to bring all like minded people on a platform with an aim to set the process of state’s all round development rolling.

    The issues related to migration of workers from Bihar to other states in search of jobs, creation of job opportunities, health, education and  strengthening the basic infrastructure in the state were discussed at length at Rai’s maiden meeting with Kishor.

    Rai expressed concern over the state occupying 28th rank in terms of economic activities in the country. 

    “This situation is more or less the same for the last three decades,” he said, adding that it is high time that the people should come forward to take the state to a new height of development.

    Earlier, Kishor met academicians, political activists, RTI activists, students of Patna University, retired professors and people from other strata of society to get feedback about the state’s affairs. His meeting with such people is still continuing.

    Recently Kishor announced to undertake 3000-km long ‘pad yatra’ from West Champaran district on October 2.

    During his ‘pad yatra’ he is supposed to meet people and get acquainted with problems faced by them.

  • Prashant Kishor responsible for our defeat in Goa: State TMC chief Kiran Kandolkar as he resigns

    By PTI

    PANAJI: Goa Trinamool Congress chief Kiran Kandolkar resigned on Wednesday and alleged that political strategist Prashant Kishor was responsible for the “humiliating” defeat of the Mamata Banerjee-led party in the recent state Assembly polls who also tried to “blackmail” the Congress.

    Addressing a press conference, Kandolkar claimed that Kishor ended up helping BJP to form the government after the polls.

    The resignation of Kandolkar and two other leaders, who had contested on the TMC symbol, came as another setback for the Mamata Banerjee-led party which is struggling to retain its flock in Goa since the poll debacle.

    The TMC drew a blank in its maiden electoral outing in Goa.

    “Prashant Kishor was responsible for the TMC’s humiliating defeat in Goa polls. He was in Goa to blackmail the Congress and eventually ended up helping the BJP to form the government again,” Kandolkar alleged.

    He, however, didn’t elaborate on the “blackmail” charge against Kishor, who recently declined to join Congress.

    Kandolkar, along with Tarak Arolkar, and Sandeep Vazarkar have resigned from the primary membership of the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

    Days earlier, Kandolkar’s wife Kavita Kandolkar had also quit the TMC, owing to “pressure” from her supporters.

    Soon after Kavita Kandolkar’s resignation move, the Goa TMC tweeted that the party was restructuring the entire AITC Goa State Committee with immediate effect.

    Kiran Kandolkar had quit as the working president of the Goa Forward Party to join the TMC in the run-up to the polls held in February this year.

    Kandolkar and his wife had contested on TMC tickets from Aldona and Thivim constituencies, respectively, but lost.

    “We did what we felt right at that time. It’s human to commit a mistake. We did commit a mistake,” Kandolkar said when asked if joining the TMC was a mistake.

    Calling for all the Opposition parties to unite to defeat the BJP, Kandolkar conceded that the split of votes went in favour of the BJP.

    Kandolkar said he would neither join any political party nor float a new one.

    “I don’t want to split anti-BJP votes further,” he added.

    The BJP won 20 seats in the 40-member House and returned to power with the support of two MLAs of MGP and three Independents.

  • Prashant Kishor-Congress fallout: What were the dealbreakers?

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Say in leadership appointments and authority for a complete overhaul of the party turned out to be key reasons that led to the breakdown of talks between Congress and poll strategist Prashant Kishor.  

    The talks, almost in the last stage, headed to a dead end after the party announced the formation of an Empowered Group 2024 on Monday, and Kishor was offered to join the group and plan for the party’s revival and election strategy.

    ALSO READ | Old friends are the best: Sidhu after meeting Prashant Kishor 

    Sources in Congress said the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC)’s deal with the TRS was no reason for the botched deal but many party leaders said that it was a sticking point and questioned Kishor’s intention to meet Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao, as his talks about joining the Congress were almost finalized.

    A senior party leader said that during his meetings with the top party leadership, Kishor has always mentioned that he should be given free hand to carry out reforms in the party and that also included say in key appointments, including Congress president, Congress Parliamentary party leader among others.  

    I declined the generous offer of #congress to join the party as part of the EAG & take responsibility for the elections.In my humble opinion, more than me the party needs leadership and collective will to fix the deep rooted structural problems through transformational reforms.
    — Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) April 26, 2022
    Keeping in mind his bitter experience with the Congress and Samajwadi Party alliance in UP assembly elections in 2017, the poll strategist wanted clarity on his roles and authority in the party. He had publicly talked about his experience with the grand old party and that he did not want to join the party with his hands tied.

    Both sides announced the deal breakup through tweets.

    “Following a presentation and discussions with Sh. Prashant Kishor, Congress President has constituted an Empowered Action Group 2024 and invited him to join the party as part of the group with defined responsibility. He declined. We appreciate his efforts and suggestions given to the party,” tweeted RS Surjewala, party media incharge.

    Soon, Kishor responded: “I declined the generous offer of Congress to join the party as part of the EAG and take responsibility for the elections. In my humble opinion, more than me the party needs leadership and collective will to fix the deep-rooted structural problems through transformational reforms.”   

    The rift over his induction into the party was known to him as even eight members of the committee assessing his revival plan were split on his role and responsibilities in the party. “It is also said that Rahul’s camp didn’t want PK given a big authority in the party,” said a senior party leader.

    Getting a hint over future challenges to push for big organisational reforms in a party that is yet to understand need for keeping with the changing times, Kishor decided to call it quits. 

  • Old friends are the best: Sidhu after meeting Prashant Kishor 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: After poll strategist Prashant Kishor declined the Congress offer to join the party, former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu met him on Tuesday and shared a picture with him saying “old friends are the best”.

    “Had a wonderful meeting with my old friend PK – Old wine, Old gold and Old friends still the best!!!” Sidhu said on Twitter, sharing his picture with Kishor.

    Had a wonderful meeting with my old friend PK … Old wine , Old gold and Old friends still the best !!! pic.twitter.com/OqOvkJqJmF
    — Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) April 26, 2022
    Earlier in the day, Kishor declined the Congress offer to join it and be a part of its Empowered Action Group for 2024 Lok Sabha elections saying more than him the Congress party needs “leadership and collective will” to fix deep-rooted structural problems through reforms.

    The poll strategist has been engaged with the Congress for bringing such changes and evolving the party’s strategy for upcoming elections and had made a detailed presentation on his plan to top party leaders.

  • Prashant Kishor declines offer to join Congress

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday officially announced that election strategist Prashant Kishor will not be working for the party as he declined to be part of the empowered action group for the 2024 general elections.

    The declaration came a day after Sonia Gandhi had announced the constitution of the group.

    Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet, “Following a presentation and discussion with Prashant Kishor, the Congress President has constituted a Empowered Action Group 2024 & invited him to join the party as part of the group with defined responsibility. He declined. We appreciate his efforts & suggestion given to party.”

    ALSO READ | Congress sets up panels, no word on Prashant Kishor

    The group was formed after a report was submitted by an eight-member committee on April 21.

    “Congress President Sonia Gandhi received a report from the eight-member group on April 21. Today she discussed the report with the group. Based on the discussions, the Congress President has decided to constitute an Empowered Action Group for 2024 in order to address the political challenges ahead,” the party had said in an official statement on Monday.

    ALSO READ | Congress leaders raise concerns as Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC signs deal with rival TRS

    Surjewala, who did not want to comment on the members of the group, said: “But as I have said, the Empowered Action Group will strategise for the 2024 general elections.”

  • Congress leaders raise concerns as Prashant Kishor’s I-PAC signs deal with rival TRS

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Top Congress leaders on Monday raised serious concerns over Prashant Kishor’s Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) entering into a poll tie-up with the TRS in Telangana for next assembly elections in the state, sources said on Monday.

    They said the Congress leadership will seek clarifications from Kishor over the development before inducting him into the party.

    This arrangement with the TRS may come as a roadblock for Kishor’s entry into the Congress as the party is seeking to wrest power from the TRS in the state.

    The sources said the eight-member group constituted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to formulate the party’s strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls after Kishor made a presentation to the leadership took a serious note of I-PAC’s deal with the Chandrashekar Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

    Some senior leaders of the eight-member group present during a meeting with Gandhi on Monday discussed the issue and raised concerns and are learnt to have told the leadership that it should seek clarifications from Kishor.

    Kishor is keen to join the Congress and has expressed his willingness to do so without any expectations, but after the latest development, senior leaders expressed doubts over his commitment as he already has arrangements with the party’s rivals in West Bengal and Bihar.

    The sources said some leaders have said there will be conflict of interest if the Congress goes ahead with having a poll arrangement with him.

    The Telangana unit of the Congress is also not happy with the party for discussing its strategy with Kishor.

    Earlier in the day, the Congress announced that an empowered group will be constituted to address the political challenges ahead and prepare the strategy for the 2024 elections.

    The sources said whether or not Kishor will be included in that group will be decided after his clarifications on the I-PAC-TRS deal.

    The Congress is now posed with a serious challenge of ironing out this issue, more so because Kishor has had a tie-up with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.

    The TMC has “poached” many Congress leaders in the recent past, much to the consternation of top party leadership.

    These include former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro and Sushmita Dev, both of whom have been given Rajya Sabha tickets.

    Recently, former Assam Congress chief Ripun Bora also joined the TMC and Kishor reportedly congratulated him, which was claimed by Bora at a press conference in the national capital.

  • Gujarat: Naresh Patel plays a waiting game; says yet to decide on political entry

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD: Naresh Patel, an influential Patidar leader, is yet to reveal what his plans are amid speculations that he is set to join the Congress party.

    The head of the Shree Khodaldham Trust which manages the temple of Khodal Mata had visited Delhi lately. However, he denied to the media his Delhi visit had anything to do with politics. He denied having met the congress top brass. He admitted that he met Prashant Kishor. He said that Hardik Patel had met him. But Naresh Patel summed up that he is yet to make up his mind about taking a plunge into politics. On that question, Patel said he will decide by May 15.

    “The decision to enter politics is a serious matter. I do not want to take a decision in a hurry and get into trouble. I have to answer you, and my community too. However, I do not lack decision-making power.  I will announce my decision by May 15 on whether I want to take a plunge into politics or not. Or I will tell you which party I am going to join,” he told media persons.

    “It is true that I met Prashant Kishor earlier. I also met Prashant Kishor at a wedding in Delhi yesterday. I can’t reveal what we discussed there. Apart from this, I also met Hardik Patel a few days ago. He has two or three questions. We are thinking of solving it,” he hinted. 

    “People say that Prashant Kishor has joined the Congress. But I cannot say anything specifically, I am not an authorized person to speak about it. And, yes there are rumours that Hardik Patel is going to join BJP. And if he does so then that is his personal decision.” 

    However, after the denial of Naresh Patel, sources say he had a meeting with top congress leaders. Importantly, sources said earlier Prashant Kishor had urged Naresh Patel to join the Congress, while Naresh Patel had laid down the conditions for joining the congress only if Prashant Kishor joined the Congress. Earlier, Naresh Patel has held meetings with Congress, BJP, and AAP leaders.

    Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress In-charge Raghu Sharma Said “Naresh Patel is a social and respected leader. It is a pleasure if he had met the Congress High Command. A leader like Naresh Patel is welcome in the Congress. His presence will make the party stronger.”

    Meanwhile, Hardik Patel has changed his social media DP today. Earlier, his WhatsApp DP had a Congress symbol and it said, “I will fight and win.” Hardik’s DP was still the same till yesterday, i.e. till April 22. But today, his DP has changed and he put a formal photo. However, Hardik’s Facebook page and Twitter handle have the same profile picture with the congress logo. 

    It may be recalled that Hardik Patel had praised the BJP on Friday.

  • G-23 excluded as Congress discusses Prashant Kishor’s proposals for 2024 Parliamentary polls

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: The group of dissidents in the Congress — G-23 — seems to be upset after not being consulted for the ongoing discussions on the proposals given by political strategist Prashant Kishor as roadmap for the 2024 general elections.

    On Wednesday, two Congress CMs, Ashok Gehlot from Rajasthan and Bhupesh Baghel from Chhattisgarh, were called to Delhi to discuss the proposals.

    While a host of Congress leaders were present for the discussions, ever since the formal consultations began on the proposals, G-23 leaders were not made party to them, including one of the senior most leaders of the Congress, Ghulam Nabi Azad.

    However, one of the signatories of the letter written to Sonia Gandhi by the G-23 leaders, Veerappa Moily, has said that it is a welcome move to rope in Kishor. Meanwhile, Gehlot said that “Kishor is a brand now”, hinting that the party is keen to induct the political strategist into its fold.

    According to Congress general-secretary Randeep Surjewala, the party will decide within 48 hours about the proposals and the possible induction of Kishor into the Congress.

    The Congress is now more focused on Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, which will go to the polls later this year, as success in state polls will be crucial going to the general elections in 2024. In total, there are six big state elections ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

    During the three meetings with Kishor held since Saturday, those present included Sonia Gandhi, Ambika Soni, AK Antony, Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala, among others. “Prashant Kishor has given a detailed presentation for the 2024 elections and the Congress President has deputed a small group to look into it and report to her within a week. A final decision will be taken after that,” Venugopal had said.

    According to sources, Kishor said during Saturday’s meeting that the Congress must target 370-400 seats and work on alliances wherever the party is weak.

  • Congress chief Sonia Gandhi forms panel to check on Prashant Kishor’s strategy paper for 2024 polls

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has formed a three-member committee comprising party veterans AK Antony, Ambika Soni and Mallikarjun Kharge to examine election strategist Prashant Kishor’s strategy paper for contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The committee has been asked to submit its report in a week.

    Kishor had made a three-hour presentation at Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s residence on April 16. It was attended by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, General secretary Priyanka Gandhi, and senior leaders AK Antony, Ambika Soni, Mallikarjun Kharge, Digvijay Singh, Mukul Wasnik, KC Venugopal,  Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken, besides the Congress president.

    In the presentation, Kishor outlined the mistakes the party has been making and presented an alternative plan that could help the party succeed at the hustings.

    Among his suggestions was to focus party resources on winnable seats, which he said were only 370 out of Lok Sabha’s total strength of 543. He said Congress is a great product which lacks proper marketing. He was particularly critical of the party’s media strategy.

    He brushed aside the rising communal polarization as an insignificant issue and said it could be countered by galvanizing and empowering workers at the booth level. He said the party should fight on its own in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and enter into alliance in states like Andhra, Telangana, West Bengal and Maharashtra.

    After the presentation, Sonia asked the leaders about their opinion on the presentation. Sources said Digvijay Singh and AK Antony appeared not very impressed by the proposal. Digvijay said this is exactly what the party had said after its last two chintan shivirs at Pachmarhi and Shimla. Antony said most of the points mentioned in the proposal were similar to those he had mentioned in his report after the party’s loss in 2014.

    The response of others was muted. But Jairam Ramesh was full of praise for the ideas presented by Kishor and said they were worth trying.

    Kishor faced an awkward moment during the meeting. When he referred to media reports about his appointment as Congress general secretary, and said he is not hankering after any party position, Kharge cut him off and said “PK, didn’t you come to me asking me to recommend you to be made Congress vice-president.”

    After the meeting Congress leaders said it was now certain that Kishor would join the party. He may, however, not get the number two slot in the party. Going by what Kharge said during the meeting and what key party functionaries feel, Kishor had been bargaining for a post next to only the Congress president. He is reportedly keen on reporting only to the Congress president.

    Congress sources said some leaders were of the view that before giving him full responsibility of strategizing the 2024 general elections, he should be asked to prove the efficacy of his plan in the impending state elections.

    “Elections are due in over a dozen states before the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Congress holds a little over 400 seats out of the 1500 plus seats in these states. Let him first help the party improve its tally in these states before taking a big bite,” said a senior Congress leader.

    Kishor has already announced that he would be part of a political party by May 2, when his sabbatical ends.

  • Squabble over Prashant Kishor’s role in the Congress

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: With the entry of Prashant Kishor almost certain, the party seems to be divided about him being handed over the role of key strategist and there is a growing concern that this could further create trouble in the grand old party that is looking to set its house in order ahead of the 2024 general election.

    A day after Kishor’s meeting with Gandhis and top leadership on the party’s revival plan, several party leaders said that the sticking point is Kishor’s condition during Saturday’s meeting that he be given freehand to revamp the organization starting from block unit to top, the system of ticket distribution, communication strategy, alliances with regional players and fundraising.   

    The rift is wide open on Kishor’s role in the party as there is a group that strongly backs his candidature while another that strongly opposes it.   

    “Everyone has given time, energy and effort for the last several decades to build the party. How can, one fine day, a decision be taken suddenly to hand over a 135-year-old organization to a poll strategist and his team. There has to be some thinking and the party can start with one department to implement his idea and see if it works,” said a former union minister.

    Another senior party leader said that during the previous meetings with Kishor, there were similar discussions, but things didn’t work out for the same condition for “he was looking to play a role similar to one played by late Ahmed Patel”.

    “He can’t dictate terms in the party and there has to be some mechanism before any deal is struck with him. He can only do some data jugglery and strategy but nothing beyond it. The ground presence and connection with people is the key to winning elections and that has to be done by the party leadership and workers,” said the leader.

    ALSO READ | Prashant Kishore reopens talks with Congress; keen to join party rather than work as consultant

    With none of the G23 leaders but Mukul Wasnik called for Saturday’s meeting with Kishor at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence, a leader of the G23 group was of the opinion that everyone knows what ails the party and several leaders have written and told the leadership about it. The party is scheduled to hold a ‘Chintan Shivir’ soon to have a free-wheeling discussion on the matter.    

    “It is like we know the problem but trust outsiders more than those who are part of the family. We are ready to pay huge money to them to revive the party while we don’t understand the core problem. My worry is that this will further divide the party and could cause massive damage,” he said.