Will Prashant Kishor join Congress? Buzz grows in party circles

A string of senior Congress leaders held a meeting chaired by Rahul Gandhi a week ago to discuss whether poll strategist Prashant Kishor could fit into the party's scheme of things.

The meeting was held through video-conferencing on July 22, when senior leaders such as Kamal Nath, Mallikarjun Kharge, AK Antony, Ajay Maken, Anand Sharma, Harish Rawat, Ambika Soni and KC Venugopal discussed the matter.

Sources told India Today that Rahul Gandhi shared with the senior Congress leaders about his meeting with Prashant Kishor recently. Prashant Kishor reportedly laid out a plan for the Congress party with a role for himself.

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A senior leader who was present in the meeting told India Today that Rahul Gandhi spoke about the possibility of Prashant Kishor joining the Congress rather than being just an advisor from the outside. The pros and cons of such a move were discussed and suggestions taken.

The larger sense was that Prashant Kishor could well add value to the party. However, his role needed to be defined and riders attached, said the senior Congress leader. Considering his last rendezvous with the Janata Dal-United (JDU) that turned out to be a debacle, the Congress could do well set boundaries to his scope of work.

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“This is a time when fresh ideas and strategies should be brought in. There is no harm in bringing Prashant Kishor into the party, of course in what capacity can be discussed,” said another party leader, who did not wish to be named.

“The Congress has great talent and potential and we should be ready to adapt and change for the better,” said the Congress leader.

There has been no official word from either side on the issue and the Congress leaders have officially been tight lipped on the matter.

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Prashant Kishor had earlier met Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. They are believed to have discussed a revival plan for the Congress in the run up to the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

The poll strategy for assembly elections due in 2022 was also discussed. It was a brainstorming session during which the issue of Prashant Kishor cropped up.

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