Analysis | Clueless Cong mulls testing 'PK effect' in state polls before handing over 2024 LS mantle

Prashant kishor
Prashant Kishor

After being battered in the latest round of state polls and looking absolutely clueless about its future, the Congress camp has surprisingly found itself brimming with brainwork in the past few days. Reason – Prashant Kishor or PK, the poll strategist.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, along with a group of key leaders, met Kishor four times in as many days, discussing in and out a plan proposed by the poll guru for the revival of the grand old party.

The meetings – which took place after an unsuccessful attempt of collaboration between the two sides – triggered speculation, analyses and rumours over PK's plans, proposals and possible induction into the party.

After Wednesday's meeting, party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said a final report on the proposals will be presented to the Congress president within three days. The report will be prepared by a team headed by A K Antony.

PK has come up with a plan for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the major proposal, going by reports from Delhi, is that the Congress should focus on 370 seats and form alliances with possible partners in the rest of the constituencies. Several leaders involved in the consultations are not in favour of entrusting him with the 2024 task right away. They argue that PK should prove his plan in some state elections due this year and the next year.

The states to witness polls before the 2024 Lok Sabha battle include the BJP fortress Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The saffron party is ruling in all these states except Rajasthan.

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi
Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi during the Congress Working Committee meeting after party's debacle in recent Assembly elections of five states at AICC headquarters in New Delhi, March 13, 2022. Photo: PTI

“Unlike last time, this time the party is likely to associate with PK. However, most of the senior leaders who are involved in the discussions are of the view that his plan should be first tested in state polls,” a source close to the developments told Onmanorama. “On the other hand, a section of leaders favour PK because they think Rahul Gandhi is keen to have him on board,” the source said.

PK, who heads the political strategy firm I-PAC, comes with a stunning track record in election management. He is credited with helping Narendra Modi win in 2014, to begin with. He then had a successful association with JD(U) in Bihar (2015), Congress in Punjab (2017), YSRCP in Andhra (2019), AAP in Delhi (2020), TMC in West Bengal and DMK in Tamil Nadu (2021).

In between, his association with the Congress-SP alliance for the 2017 UP polls turned out to be disastrous.

“It's a fact that the parties whom PK is credited to have helped to win were already the favourites in those elections. UP was a different scenario but there he couldn't do anything. This also contributes to the argument that it's better to test his method in state polls before leaving him with the 2024 assignment,” the source said.

PK's plan reportedly includes his joining the Congress. There were reports that he fell out with the Congress earlier as the party was not willing to entertain his demand for a post close to the party chief. “Now also, many in the party are not in favour of anointing him to a top post directly. It is likely to further disturb the power equations in the party,” the source said.

The next round of assembly polls is highly crucial for the Congress as it is in power only in two states now – Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. If it loses both, it will be a total wipeout of the 137-year-old party. It remains to see if 'Plan PK' can save it.

 

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.