Prashant Kishor to negotiate future role in Congress after panel report

Non-Gandhi would have made high impact but viability is difficult, says polls strategist

Among the five strategic suggestions for the revival of the Congress made by the poll strategist Prashant Kishor are fixing the leadership issue, and reclaiming the party’s founding tenets.

The presentation to the party leadership also called for solving the alliance conundrum, building an army of grass roots leaders and foot soldiers, and creating an ecosystem for a supportive media and digital propagation.

Over the past few months, the poll strategist is said to have made several presentations, one of which, running into 88 slides, has been accessed by The Hindu. However, people close to the strategist claimed that none has seen the entire presentation that has well over 600 slides.

Mr. Kishor’s formal entry into the Congress is predicated on a committee of senior leaders submitting their report to party chief Sonia Gandhi after examining these proposals. Thereafter, the poll strategist will negotiate his future role in the party with the Gandhis, claimed a source close to the strategist.

On the leadership issue, Mr. Kishor’s presentation pointed out that a non-Gandhi as the party president and Ms. Gandhi as head of the Congress-led alliance would have made high impact but it’s viability is difficult. 

That’s why Mr. Kishor gives the preferred option of Ms. Gandhi continuing as the party president, with a non-Gandhi as working president; recommends revival of the Parliamentary Board, with Rahul Gandhi heading it and suggests Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the general secretary in-charge of coordination.

Another slide pitched Mr. Gandhi as the leader of the Parliamentary party who will have a shadow cabinet, offering “collective credibility”.