Prashant Kishore to join Congress? Poll strategist meets Gandhi family

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are meeting a group of veteran party leaders today to discuss the strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections. Election strategist Prashant Kishor was also at Gandhi’s residence at 10, Janpath. According to sources, Mallikarjun Kharge, AK Antony, Ambika Soni, Jairam Ramesh, Mukul Wasnik, Digvijay Singh and Ajay Maken have also reached to attend this meeting. Kishor recently resumed talks with the Gandhi family for a role in reviving the Congress ahead of major elections, including the 2024 general election. But after several rounds of talks, the two sides had parted ways.

Sources close to the strategist have denied the Congress' version that talks are focused on the Gujarat elections later this year. He said the Congress leadership and Prashant Kishor are mainly discussing the roadmap for the 2024 national elections. Sources say elections in Gujarat or any other state will be in line with PK's assignment and responsibility once the two sides reach an agreement for 2024.

Kishor had a series of meetings with the Gandhis last year too but his association with other parties has led a section of the leaders in Congress to oppose his entry citing the trust factor.
 To note, Kishor had in December hit out at the Congress arguing that its leadership of the Opposition is not the “divine right of an individual, especially when the party has lost more than 90 per cent elections in the last 10 years”. Let the Opposition leadership be decided “democratically”, he had said.