Congress panel to decide on Prashant Kishor's entry

New Delhi, April 20

A high-level Congress committee will within the next three days finalise a roadmap on ways to strengthen the party, make it battle ready for forthcoming elections and the role and entry of strategist Prashant Kishor.

The panel comprising former Defence Minister AK Antony, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Rajya Sabha MP Ambika Soni has been holding deliberations on energising the Congress for the past three days, party media head Randeep Singh Surjewala said on Wednesday. The panel has seen detailed presentations by Kishor and is engaged on the question of his formal entry into the Congress and the nature of his role. Kishor has met Sonia Gandhi on four occasions in three days and is believed to have made over 18-hour presentations during these days.

The panel is considering Kishor’s recommendations and also met Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel to discuss the revamp agenda. “The committee has been holding deliberations for three days… Today it met the CMs of Congress-ruled states. The deliberations will conclude over the next 48 to 72 hours by when the committee report is expected to be ready,” Surjewala said.