No decision on Prashant Kishor, Congress to form action group for '24 polls

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 25

The Congress on Monday failed to arrive at a decision with respect to election strategist Prashant Kishor’s entry into the party, but decided to form an empowered action group to address challenges in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The party formally announced the convening of “chintan shivir” in Udaipur from May 13 to 15 and named several G-23 leaders in groups that will lead discussions on specific segments during the introspection meeting.

The inclusion of G-23 leaders in the consultative process came a day after several group members flagged “deep distrust” over exclusion from deliberations related to Kishor and his proposals.

Briefing reporters after Congress president Sonia Gandhi met the eight-member panel formed earlier to debate Kishor’s recommendations, AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala steered clear of queries about the poll strategist’s formal entry into the party.

“You will know when he joins,” Surjewala quipped, saying the only decision taken today was that Sonia Gandhi would constitute a group to address all challenges related to the General Election.

“The empowered group will consider the political and organisational challenges facing the party,” Surjewala said.

With G-23 members opposed to Kishor and excluded from discussions, Sonia today made amends by naming some in the six panels for the “chintan shivir”. Haryana ex-CM Bhupinder Hooda will convene the group on farmers and agriculture while Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring will lead the discussion on youth and empowerment.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the eight-member committee on Kishor was divided on whether or not to formally induct him. The meeting came a day after Kishor met Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao and his I-PAC formalised a plan to help Rao in the 2024 Assembly elections.

The move did bother the Congress, which is the principal Opposition in Telangana.

G-23 ‘placated’

• G-23 leaders named in groups constituted to lead segment-wise discussions during ‘chintan shivir’ in May
• Haryana ex-CM Bhupinder Hooda will convene the group on farmers
• The committee on Prashant Kishor is divided on whether or not to induct him into the Congress

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