Poll strategist Prashant Kishor, who has two important electoral success stories behind him, will now assist Punjab Congress in its bid to reclaim power in Punjab for the 2017 assembly polls. Kishor was the poll strategist of Narendra Modi in 2014 lok Sabha elections and later worked for Nitish Kumar in Bihar Assembly elections in 2015.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh said, “The All India Congress Committee has given its approval for Kishor to assist Punjab Congress in the forthcoming assembly elections in Punjab.”
Punjab Assembly elections are due early next year and Congress, which has been out of power for the last nine years after been defeated twice at the hustings by ruling Akali-BJP combine, is seeking to wrest power again. Punjab Congress will work out its poll strategy jointly with Kishor in the run-up to the polls, especially in the wake of growing support for AAP, which had won four lok Sabha seats in the State.
Sources said Amarinder has been working with Kishor for some time and he is also learnt to have told the Congress not to contest the Khadoor Sahib by-polls in the state. Congress has since decided not to contest the bypolls, despite the AICC having officially declared the candidature of sitting MlA Ramanjit Singh Sikki.
Congress sources indicated that Kishor has already started his work and is making an assessment of the ground situation along with surveys while formulating the party’s strategy.
In 2015, Kishor started the Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) and started working for the 2015 Bihar assembly election. Working closely with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, he helped Kumar’s “Grand Alliance” win the elections.
Amarinder is also working on strengthening the social media team, keeping in view the estimated 50 per cent youth in the State. He has already started his interactions with youth in colleges and educational institutions. As part of strengthening the party, Congress also roped in Manpreet Singh Badal, the estranged nephew of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.