Election consultant Prashant Kishor’s probable joining has generated much curiosity and discontent in the Congress as sketchy details of his last meeting with the top leadership percolate down to a larger group.
Though the select few who were present at the meeting aren’t willing to reveal what transpired at the meeting, one senior leader told The Telegraph: “We heard strange things. Prashant Kishor asserted at the meeting that Hindu polarisation hasn’t increased. The entire Opposition believes RSS-BJP thrives by creating communal polarisation. The message in Sonia Gandhi’s article in a newspaper was the same. But the strategist we intend to hire wants us to believe polarisation isn’t an issue.”
This leader added: “We are told that Kishor wanted to become vice-president of the Congress. This was disclosed when Kishor complained at the meeting that reports about his personal ambition, that he demanded this or that post in the party, were being planted in the media. At this, a senior leader confronted him, asking whether the consultant didn’t tell him that he should be made vice-president. This revelation shocked all the leaders present at the meeting.”
The meeting held last week was attended by Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, K.C. Venugopal, Ambika Soni, Digvijaya Singh, Priyanka Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken. It is learnt that one of these leaders also pointed out that the presentation made by the consultant wasn’t a novelty and most of the facts were known to the party. Sonia Gandhi had decided at the meeting that a small group will examine Kishor’s proposal and the decision on the relationship with him will be finalised only after that.
As a larger group in the party is now convinced that Kishor will be given an important responsibility, including the possibility of his joining the party, they are giving vent to their frustration in off-the-record conversations. While many senior leaders are angry about the process of consultation, wondering what was the basis of invitation for the meeting at Sonia’s residence, others express shock at the top leadership’s obsession with the election strategist.
One of them said, “It is more about politics. Revival of the party cannot happen on the basis of tricks offered by consultants. All of us know that the party machinery has to be activated and the communication system has to be bolstered. These were the two main suggestions given by Kishor. The third was laughable — that the party should concentrate on 370 seats, and let allies contest where they are strong. Do you need a strategy for that? Are we going to tell DMK that we won’t let you contest on majority of seats in Tamil Nadu? Who doesn’t know that RJD will contest most of the seats in Bihar, alliance will take some seats in Maharashtra and elsewhere?”
These leaders insist that Kishor can join or work for the party but no critical political role should be given to him. But there is no denying the fact that the dominant feeling about him is negative and some leaders even suspect his commitment. Rahul Gandhi will have to work hard to create a synergy between the strategist and the party functionaries if he is ultimately hired or embraced within the party fold.
