Master poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Wednesday denied reports that he was parting ways with the Congress owing to alleged growing interference by senior party leaders in his work is “wild speculation”. On his part, the party’s face in Punjab, former Chief Minister Amradinder Singh too denied reports of a rift with Kishor.
The clarifications comes after news reports pouring attributed that all was not well between Kishor and some Congress leaders of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Kishor has been facing opposition from some sections of the grand old party over his style of functioning. His organisation, I-PAC, said that Kishor will continue to work with the Congress till Uttar Pradesh and Punjab polls.
“Question of quitting is nothing but wild speculation. We are deeply honoured by the responsibility and totally committed to the job. Grateful for the opportunity and the trust shown by the Congress, its leadership and each and every workers for their faith in us,” I-PAC posted tweets in this regard.
Kishor was roped in by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to recreate magic for the party in next year’s Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The Congress has been trying to gain power in UP and Punjab for the last some years, but without success.
Amradinder Singh told a private news channel, “Things are 100 per cent fine. We’ve been together for the whole of yesterday (Tuesday), been together whole of this morning. We have no differences whatsoever.”
Kishore, who had successfully designed Narendra Modi’s lok Sabha election campaign and Nitish Kumar’s 2015 Bihar Assembly polls campaign, was recently roped in by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to recreate the same magic for the party in next year’s Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections.
The Congress is out of power in Punjab for the past nine years and is making strenuous efforts to oust the SAD-BJP combine from power at a time when the AAP has emerged as a significant player in the State.
Kishor has taken upon himself the task of winning UP and Punjab for the Congress, with one main condition: a free hand in decision making. “While the top leadership of the Congress party has not restricted him yet, other leaders in Delhi and the two states have been lobbying hard to curb Kishor’s influence,” said a senior Congress leader.