NEW DELHI: With the entry of Prashant Kishor almost certain, the party seems to be divided about him being handed over the role of key strategist and there is a growing concern that this could further create trouble in the grand old party that is looking to set its house in order ahead of the 2024 general election.
A day after Kishor’s meeting with Gandhis and top leadership on the party’s revival plan, several party leaders said that the sticking point is Kishor’s condition during Saturday’s meeting that he be given freehand to revamp the organization starting from block unit to top, the system of ticket distribution, communication strategy, alliances with regional players and fundraising.
The rift is wide open on Kishor’s role in the party as there is a group that strongly backs his candidature while another that strongly opposes it.
“Everyone has given time, energy and effort for the last several decades to build the party. How can, one fine day, a decision be taken suddenly to hand over a 135-year-old organization to a poll strategist and his team. There has to be some thinking and the party can start with one department to implement his idea and see if it works,” said a former union minister.
Another senior party leader said that during the previous meetings with Kishor, there were similar discussions, but things didn’t work out for the same condition for “he was looking to play a role similar to one played by late Ahmed Patel”.
“He can’t dictate terms in the party and there has to be some mechanism before any deal is struck with him. He can only do some data jugglery and strategy but nothing beyond it. The ground presence and connection with people is the key to winning elections and that has to be done by the party leadership and workers,” said the leader.
With none of the G23 leaders but Mukul Wasnik called for Saturday’s meeting with Kishor at Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s 10 Janpath residence, a leader of the G23 group was of the opinion that everyone knows what ails the party and several leaders have written and told the leadership about it. The party is scheduled to hold a ‘Chintan Shivir’ soon to have a free-wheeling discussion on the matter.
“It is like we know the problem but trust outsiders more than those who are part of the family. We are ready to pay huge money to them to revive the party while we don’t understand the core problem. My worry is that this will further divide the party and could cause massive damage,” he said.