‘Rahul’s team does not want any controversial leader to be part of the Congress’.
New Delhi: The plan of electoral strategist Prashant Kishor and former JNU students’ union president Kanhaiya Kumar to join Congress has run into rough weather, with a big section of the party against it. So, there is less possibility of the two joining the grand old party.
According to sources, those lobbying for Kishor and Kanhaiya are also trying to bring former AAP leaders Ashutosh, Ashish Khetan and Kumar Vishwas in the Congress. Although, nothing is official as yet, a section of the party is trying to help Rahul Gandhi build a new team of leaders who could attack PM Narendra Modi. Rahul Gandhi is of the view that Congress leaders are not that vocal against PM Modi.
Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was the only leader after Rahul Gandhi to have targeted PM Modi openly during 2019 Lok Sabha polls, is now busy attacking his own government in Punjab. The team of Rahul Gandhi does not want any controversial leader to be part of the Congress. This is the reason why Kishor is not being given the green light. Earlier, Kishor was said to be under consideration for some responsibility in UP. But state leaders did not accept the proposal. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra herself prepared the poll strategy in Uttar Pradesh. A screening committee was set up under the chairmanship of Jitendra Singh. Kishor was trying to make way for Kanhaiya’s entry into Congress. Apart from reservations against Kanhaiya in the Congress itself, UPA constituent RJD was also not in favour of him joining the party. RJD leader Tejashwi was against the proposal about Kanhaiya at the time of Bihar polls. Significantly, a Mahagathbandhan candidate had been fielded from Begusarai seat.
The BJP could have got a big issue if Kanhaiya had been inducted into the Congress, as he was branded as a member of Tukde-Tukde gang. A big section of Congress is against him for this reason as well. Perhaps, Kanhaiya has also changed his plan to join Congress and has decided to be with CPI. Meanwhile, the former AAP leaders Ashutosh, Kumar Vishwas and Ashish Khetan are free nowadays. After Vishwas’ wife Manju Sharma became Rajasthan PSC member, it was speculated that the former AAP leader will sooner or later join Congress. He is said to be keeping a close watch over the goings-on in the Congress. The way Ashutosh comes heavily down on BJP, he is seen to be close to Congress. But the young leaders of Congress are not in favour of these former AAP leaders. There may be some changes in Congress after Assembly elections next year. But the party will remain unchanged as of now. The party is planning to go it alone in all the states. The Congress will fight polls under the leadership of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in Punjab. Harish Rawat has been given the leadership role in Uttarakhand. But he is also engaged in the Punjab problem. The scene is unclear in other states.