What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
NEW DELHI: Eyeing a comeback in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress top brass, including its interim president Sonia Gandhi, held another round of meeting with poll strategist Prashant Kishor here on Tuesday.
According to party sources, Kishor met the top leadership of the Congress for the third time in last four days amid speculation of him joining the grand old party.
Party sources said that those present at the meeting included former Madhya Pradesh chief ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh, senior party leaders Mukul Wasnik, KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, AK Antony, Ambika Soni and Randeep Surjewala.
In the coming days, few more meetings are being planned to discuss the strategy suggested by Kishor for the revival of party’s fortunes in the upcoming elections in several states ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
After Kishor’s first meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other top leaders, Venugopal on Saturday said that the election planner had given a detailed presentation with a road map for the next general elections and his role in the Congress party would be “known within a week”.
Following Saturday’s crucial meeting, Sonia Gandhi again met Kishor on Monday afternoon that lasted for several hours. During the meeting, Sonia Gandhi consulted with senior Congress leaders on the roles and responsibilities of Kishor and she will soon take a final call after discussions with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a source in the party said.
Rahul Gandhi was not part of the discussions held on Monday.
The party source further said that during his three hour detailed presentation on Saturday, Kishor had pointed out that the Congress should fight alone in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha, and form alliances in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra.
He had also suggested that the Congress should focus on 370 seats in Lok Sabha where it has direct fight with the ruling BJP.
The source also said that other points highlighted by Kishor in his presentation include the party’s weakness at the booth level.
“He has recommended forming WhatsApp groups at the booth level, proper communication teams, data analysis of the strengths and weakness of the party in each constituency, possible candidates and issues and changing the narrative of communal polarisation,” the source added.
Congress has already formed a committee to discuss Kishor’s plan and getting back to Sonia Gandhi within a week.
Another party source said that the party is also expected to shortly announce its three-day brainstorming session to discuss its recent poll debacle in Rajasthan’s Udaipur as well as Kishor’s entry in the party.
