NEW DELHI: Political analyst Prashant Kishor’s last round of negotiations with the Congress on improving the decaying fortunes of the 137-year-old party broke through due to the most obvious of stalemates. Telangana was not the state in question.
It was not a matter of ideology. While the 45-year-old desired big reforms and the opportunity to act as a disruptor, the Congress leadership eventually opted for modest improvements, according to congressional insiders.
Unlike last year, when similar discussions came to a halt, Congress President Sonia Gandhi kept senior party leaders informed, acted on their suggestions, and has chosen to make them accountable for future election defeats and successes, they noted.
They categorically denied that the deal fell through as a result of Prashant Kishor’s association with other parties such as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, led by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao or “KCR,” which just two days ago signed up his political consultancy group I-PAC for next year’s elections.
His history of assisting everyone from the BJP to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in winning elections was also not a bone of contention, a leader added. “The point of contention was how to carry out the rebirth. PK desired to be a disruptive force. The party desired gradual adjustments “‘He stated.
The Congress was initially unwilling to cede control to an outsider, and Prashant Kishor was wary of having his hands constrained following the party’s dismal 2017 Uttar Pradesh election campaign, sources claimed.
After multiple rounds of discussions, presentations, considerations, and any-moment-now signals to the media, the news on Tuesday that they were going their separate ways was amicable, insiders claimed. There was no acrimony.
“Prashant Kishor met with the leadership prior to the announcement and tweets, and it was mutually acknowledged that an agreement could not be achieved,” one leader stated on condition of anonymity.
Only then did Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and Prashant Kishor issue formal Twitter announcements, carefully avoiding any harsh language. On the surface, the Congress offered Prashant Kishor what it was willing to provide – another place at the renamed “Empowered Action Group” discussion table.
Mr. Kishor kindly refused the offer. The events reflect last year’s round of unsuccessful discussions between the two parties when they failed to “take a leap of faith,” as Mr. Kishor put it.
“Others believe it is natural for Prashant Kishor and Congress to collaborate. However, collaboration requires both sides to take a leap of faith. That did not occur in the case of the Congress ” he said. “Personally, I had a bad encounter with them during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections. As a result, I was really skeptical.
I didn’t want to enter with my hands bound. The Congress leadership is right to be skeptical about whether I will be 100 per cent committed to them, given my experience,” Mr. Kishor had stated, adding that he was confident the Congress needed a “revamp.” “To defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Edited By : Khushi Thakur
Published By : Shubham Ghulaxe
