DNA Exclusive: Why Congress-Prashant Kishor talks failed again?

Election strategist Prashant Kishor on Tuesday announced that he rejected an offer from Congress to join the party as a part of the Empowered Action Group (EAG) after 10 days of build-up and closed-door meetings with the senior leadership, including president Sonia Gandhi.

The poll expert, in a tightly framed tweet, said that the party needs robust leadership and the collective desire to fix the deep-rooted structural problem.

In today's DNA, Zee News will analyse why the much talked about Congress-Prashant Kishor partnership failed to see the light of the day and if the party is ready to sacrifice its goals to keep the Gandhis in charge.

Congress needs to set its priorities straight

After another failure to secure ties with Prashant Kishor, who is credited for delivering some phenomenal wins for leaders like Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee and PM Modi himself, the Congress has said it loud and clear that its priorities are defined- Gandhis.

The reason behind the Congress-Prashant Kishor partnership failure is Rahul Gandhi.

According to inside sources, Prashant Kishor during one of his meetings with the senior Congress leadership sought permission to share his honest opinion with them.

On being asked, Prashant Kishor said, “The problem with Congress is Rahul Gandhi. His credibility among Indians is zero and the party must try to get either Priyanka Gandhi Vadra or some non-Gandhi face at the helm of the affairs.”

It has also been reported that Rahul Gandhi left the city a day after this conversation.

Prashant Kishor, who proposed to revamp the age-old party to prepare it for the 2024 elections, has met Sonia Gandhi thrice in the last 10 days. It was reported that the poll expert suggested several fundamental changes in the party structure and strategies.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala while announcing Prashant Kishor’s decision on Twitter thanked if for his input to the party.

“Following a presentation & discussions with Sh. Prashant Kishor, Congress President has constituted an Empowered Action Group 2024 & invited him to join the party as part of the group with defined responsibility. He declined. We appreciate his efforts & suggestion given to the party,” the Congress leader wrote.

What does Congress need?

The answer to this question lies in Prashant Kishor’s tweet itslef.

Takingt to Twitter, Kishor said, “I declined the generous offer of #congress to join the party as part of the EAG & take responsibility for the elections. In my humble opinion, more than me the party needs leadership and collective will to fix the deep rooted structural problems through transformational reforms,”

If we break down his tweet and analyse the hidden message in the last line, Congress needs a “collective will t fix the deep-rooted problems through transformational reforms.”

This means Congress needs to take some tough decisions and have to have a collective desire to surmount the problems that have shaken it from the base to counter the BJP in 2024.

The polls expert also emphasised the fact that Congress is in need of a robust leadership that can only come after-party and is prepared to make some transformational changes.