With Prashant Kishor-Congress deal off, poll strategist can be coordinator for Oppn, says Prithviraj Chavan

As the deal between Prashant Kishor and Congress is now off the table, the poll strategist can become a coordinator among the Opposition parties, party leader Prithviraj Chavan has said.

Hours after poll strategist Prashant Kishor declined the Congress's offers to join the party on Tuesday, former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said that Kishor could work as a coordinator among the Opposition parties.

ALSO READ | Why Prashant Kishor-Congress talks collapsed?

“It is clear that Prashant Kishor won't be an office-bearer of Congress. But he can still play the role of coordinator for the Opposition parties,” Chavan told Mumbai Tak. He tried to draw a parallel between Kishor and the late Ahmed Patel, a stalwart Congress leader known for his political manoeuvring skills. “After Ahmed Patel's death, the Congress doesn't have anyone who can coordinate with like-minded parties. Prashant Kishor can bring all Opposition parties to a table,” Chavan said.

An experienced Chavan, who has worked as an All India Congress Committee General Secretary, also disclosed that Kishor had discussed his plans for Congress at their meeting in Mumbai a couple of months ago. “He had told me that there was a need to stop Narendra Modi as he [Modi] is a danger to democracy. Kishor had almost joined the Congress. He laid several conditions, though. He backed out because these conditions were not accepted,” Chavan said.

ALSO READ | As G23 feels its way forward, the Rahul Gandhi question weighs heavy

India Today asked Chavan if Prashant Kishor is appointed as a coordinator for the Opposition, will the Congress be pushed on a backfoot as the strategist would give more weightage to regional parties in the seat-sharing? Chavan replied that there would be “some give and take”. “That doesn't mean we will compromise our position.”

Chavan reiterated that the G-23’s main demand was conducting an election for the post of the Congress president. “Anyone can contest the post. Even Rahulji (Gandhi) can contest and win,” Chavan said. He argued that an elected Congress president will have the authority to negotiate seat-sharing with other parties. “S/he will be in a position to take firm decisions. I am not getting into whether the Congress president should be a Gandhi or a non-Gandhi. I am only insisting that the person should be elected, not nominated.”