New Delhi: The extended courtship between political strategist Prashant Kishor and the Congress has come to an end with public statements from both sides that it was over as the former declined an offer by the grand old party to join an empowered group of leaders for the 2024 general elections.
While the 45-year-old wanted a free hand to bring in sweeping changes and play the role of a disruptor, the Congress leadership ultimately found itself wary of a complete overhaul, preferring incremental changes instead, sources said.
AICC spokesman Randeep Surjewala tweeted on Tuesday, ‘Following a presentation and discussions with Prashant Kishor, Congress chief has… invited him to join the party as part of the group with defined responsibility. He declined. We appreciate his efforts and suggestion given to the party’.
Quoting people familiar with the matter, reports said that the deal fell through because of four reasons: Kishor’s insistence that he would only report to party president Sonia Gandhi; his demand for use of data in choice of candidates, which effectively meant a free hand; his view on alliances with regional parties; and his desire to focus on the parliamentary elections in 2024, not the State elections this year or next.
His ideas on alliance matters, like junking old allies in key states like Bihar, Maharashtra, J&K, and on party leadership, are said to have struck another jarring note.
A Congress functionary reportedly claimed that Kishor had wanted two different people as PM candidate and party chief – with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the latter. The party wants Rahul Gandhi to become the chief again.