When Prashant Kishor met the Gandhis and set Delhi's political circle abuzz about a possible anti-BJP alliance with Congress as key party

From speculations on whether Kishor met the Gandhis to discuss Punjab, Uttar Pradesh - both states go to polls next year - to whether he is joining hands with Congress to create an anti-BJP alliance, there have been several conjectures as to why the poll strategist met the Gandhis. However, there has been no offcial word on the meeting

New Delhi: Ever since election strategist Prashant Kishor met former Congress President Rahul Gandhi at his residence in Delhi on Tuesday (July), along with Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, speculations have been rife in Delhi's political circle about the agenda of the meeting. While earlier reports speculated tha the meeting, which lasted for almost couple of hours, was about Punjab and Uttar Pradesh - two key states that go to poll next year - later, speculation intensified over whether the poll strategist is all set to join India's main opposition party, the Congress. Or at least join hands with the latter in a bid to give BJP a tough fight in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

However, there has been no offcial word on the meeting. It is not clear what was discussed in the meeting and therefore speculations continue to be made about the agenda. Punjab and Uttar Pradesh are among five states slated to go to the polls early next year. Kishor left after the meeting and avoided the media leading to speculation about the agenda. Prashant Kishor is the advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and there are speculations that Rahul Gandhi consulted him over the feud in Punjab Congress involving the Chief Minister and former state minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.Captain Amarinder Singh, who came to Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi last week, also met Kishor at Kapurthala House.

However, AICC in-charge of Punjab Harish Rawat, while answering the question related to Kishor's visit, said that Rahul Gandhi is a national leader and many people come to meet him."It would not be correct to say that PK had come to discuss Punjab. If there was talk on Punjab, I would have been included too," said Rawat.

Kishor had met NCP leader Sharad Pawar last month. He was also the strategist for Trinamool Congress in Bengal assembly polls earlier this year. DMK had also roped in Kishor for the assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, which it won along with its allies. Kishor had worked as a strategist for Congress in the last Punjab and Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. He is learnt to have insisted on getting a free hand in Uttar Pradesh and the arrangement did not go much further. After the Bengal elections, Prashant Kishor had announced that he will not play the role of election strategist. But after his meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, there is a possibility that Kishor may work for the Congress in the upcoming assembly elections.

(With ANI inputs)