Rahul Gandhi asks party to plan poll ride with Akhilesh Yadav

NEW DELHI: As EC recognised Akhilesh Yadav-led SP’s claim over the ‘cycle’ symbol, Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi has asked the party to start working on a joint campaign strategy. Gandhi, according to sources, has reviewed the alliance possibilities and feels the party should prepare for both scenarios.

“We are preparing for both the possibilities — of an alliance with Akhilesh Yadav-led SP or going it alone. But we are hopeful that we would fight the elections in an alliance,” a senior Congress leader told ET.

Giving fillip to the alliance would be a joint campaign strategy likely to be spearheaded by political strategist Prashant Kishor, who had been edged out of UP affairs in November. Kishor is expected to give some big joint campaign themes to put Gandhi and UP CM Akhilesh Yadav together on stage. “There were many misgivings against PK and his team within the state Congress unit. But the truth is that he gave us some great campaigns.

Sonia ji’s roadshow, Rahul ji’s Deoria yatra collecting debt waiver forms and the Shiksha-Suraksha-Swabhiman yatras touching 5,000 Dalit-dominated villages were all his campaigns. Though he wasn’t there to complete the Shiksha-Suraksha-Swabhiman yatra, the idea and messaging were his,” said the leader.

Though the UP experience has been bitter for Congress, Kishor is still helping the party in Punjab and Uttarakhand, steering the campaign and creatives. He is likely to create a buzz around the Congress-SP joint campaign as the race hots up.