Prashant Kishor predicts ‘electoral rout’ for Congress in Gujarat, Himachal

Election strategist Prashant Kishor on Friday said the mega brainstorming session held by Congress in Udaipur “failed to achieve anything meaningful”, predicting an “electoral rout” in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in the coming assembly elections. Kishor, who recently turned down an offer to join the Congress, opined that the ‘Chintan Shivir’ only helped in “prolonging the status-quo”.

“I’ve been repeatedly asked to comment on the outcome of #UdaipurChintanShivir,” Kishor wrote on Twitter.

“In my view, it failed to achieve anything meaningful other than prolonging the status-quo and giving some time to the #Congress leadership, at least till the impending electoral rout in Gujarat and HP!” he added.

Prashant Kishor was in discussion with the Congress leadership for the revival of the grand old party but several sticking points prompted him to decline the offer to join the party earlier this month. Kishor said he did not want to be a member of the empowered action group because he felt a group formed by the executive order of the party president would not have much power.

“Now a group formed by an executive order won’t have that power and sanction to bring in complete and long-term changes. Because the party has a constitution. An outside group like this which may not have the sanction by the party’s constitution will face some problems going ahead. There might be some opposition which will become counterproductive,” Prashant Kishor said.

The poll strategist later announced he will begin a 3,000-km foot march from Bihar’s West Champaran on October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. While Kishor clarified he was not floating a political party, for now, he stressed that Bihar needs a new order, adding it is not necessary to contest elections alone for this.