Is Cong mulling to mend fences with Prashant Kishor ahead of Punjab polls?

Although not on the best of terms with each other, the Congress and election strategist Prashant Kishor may just come together for the 2022 Punjab polls.

This much was hinted by none other than state chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi who, according to media reports, said that Punjab Congress’ in-charge Harish Chaudhary had told him to share the party’s poll plans with Kishor.

As all party directions come from the Congress high command, it seems Kishor may have reached an understanding with the party with which he has been at loggerheads, and against whom he has frequently taken digs on Twitter.

Just a few months ago, Kishor had resigned as Principal Adviser to then Punjab CM and Congressman Amarinder Singh, and said he would not be involved in the upcoming state elections. Amarinder on Tuesday resigned from the Congress and floated his own party, Punjab Lok Congress, which the Congress will now have to face in the Punjab election.

Kishor recently also tweeted about “deep-rooted problems” in the Grand Old Party, while The Federal had reported that his way of working had left several Congress veterans sceptical about his formal induction into the party.

“People looking for a quick, spontaneous revival of GOP led opposition based on #LakhimpurKheri incident are setting themselves up for a big disappointment. Unfortunately there are no quick fix solutions to the deep-rooted problems and structural weakness of GOP,” Kishor had tweeted last month.

Reports on the strategist meeting the Gandhis for a role in the Congress had started circulating after this year’s West Bengal elections, which Kishor had managed for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress and led to a spectacular victory.

Also read: Time for rapprochement over, decision to leave Cong is final: Amarinder

But Kishor reportedly demanded a free hand to overhaul the Congress and the talks broke down.

In May, after TMC’s win, Kishor had announced that he was quitting election management, but was soon back to work for the party for the upcoming Goa Assembly elections.

In the 2017 Punjab polls, Kishor had worked with the Congress with Amarinder as the state unit president, who wanted him to manage the party’s campaign for the next Assembly polls as well.

Looks like that might just happen, but this time with Amarinder on the other side.

Also read: Prashant Kishor fires fresh salvo at Cong; says BJP is here to stay