The Congress is all set to complete within the next 72 hours the exercise to build consensus within the party for the inclusion of poll strategist Prashant Kishor in its top echelons. Kishor has already presented a roadmap for the revival of the grand old party to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Going by all indications, Kishor will formally join the Congress and oversee the crucial task of rebuilding the party and formulating its narrative to take on the saffron outfit.
After four days of regular meetings chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi which also saw participation by Prashant Kishor on three occasions within a week, Congress chief Ministers Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot joined the deliberation on Wednesday.
Gehlot and Baghel met Sonia in the presence of Kishor and discussed the organisation’s strategy for the upcoming Assembly and general elections.
During the meeting that lasted several hours, the two Chief Ministers presented their plans for the respective States and asked Kishor to give his additional suggestions.
About the entry of Kishor into the Congress, Gehlot told the waiting media that it would be good if the party makes use of the experience of an expert like him to bring the Opposition together.
The Rajasthan Chief Minister said Kishor has become a brand. He was with Narendra Modi during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and later with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, with the Congress in Punjab and with many other leaders, Gehlot said.
“It will be good if his experience is used in uniting the Opposition and in fighting the NDA Government. There is a need to do so. The manner in which there is violence during festivals... A very dangerous politics is going on in the country and if one thinks only on the basis of religion, it is not good for the country,” Gehlot alleged.
“Congress president Sonia Gandhi has constituted a short committee to look at the various suggestions given by Prashant Kishor as also by certain very experienced people in the party. Those suggestions include the ways and means to strengthen the Congress organisation and to gear up the Congress for the upcoming elections leading up to 2024, both the State and Central elections,” party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a Press briefing.
“Those suggestions also include coming up to the aspirations of people of India, to reflect their pain and agony being heaped upon them by the Government as also to reflect aspirations of a forward looking growing India, India of the 21st century and how to propel the country forward,” he added.
“Congress organisation must adapt to all these changes and that’s why this committee has been holding deliberations for the last three days on the various suggestions that were given by Prashant Kishor as also time to time to the Congress president by various seasoned leaders,” he said.
“Because our two Chief Ministers are very experienced, they have organisational and administrative experience, that’s why the committee thought it fit to request them to come today and to join the deliberations and to give their suggestions. We have had a fruitful round of discussions with both Ashok Gehlot as also with Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel,” Surjewala said.
“For the last three days, these deliberations have been held. We propose to conclude these deliberations over the next 48 to 72 hours. Currently I have nothing further to add,” he said.