Not on your terms: Congress to Prashant Kishor

The Congress on Monday refused to extend any special treatment to election strategist Prashant Kishor, making it abundantly clear that PK cannot overhaul the leadership framework as a condition for joining the grand old party.

The party left it to Kishore whether to formally join or be a professional associate even as it announced an "Empowered Action Group - 2024" constituted by Sonia Gandhi to address the challenges ahead.

The names of the eight-member panel will be announced soon. The panel however, found many of Kishor's suggestions for electoral and organisational reboot of the Congress "welcome and acceptable", but cautioned Gandhi against allowing Kishor to become a law unto himself.


"It is up to Prashant Kishor to decide and convey to the leadership whether he wants to join the Congress Party. He is welcome ...but has to work within the party constitution. Nobody can hope to hijack and run the party by dictating terms to the leadership," said a member of the Congress panel.

While Priyanka Vadra is learnt to be the one panel member who is evidently in awe of "PK", Rahul is currently abroad. The much talk-about entry has led to some uneasiness among Team Rahul who feel threatened should PK indeed become the new ring leader. Some are plain suspicious given Kishor's tendency to interfere with the functioning of many Congress chieftains.