New Delhi: In a startling development, the Congress has clipped wings of much-hyped poll strategist Prashant Kishor by disassociating him from the process of ticket distribution in next Uttar Pradesh assembly election.
The decision was taken after intervention of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on the basis of certain complaint against him. The highly placed Congress sources told newstrack.com.
Indications are such that Prashant Kishor (PK) has also been divested of the powers which involved finances. It is being seen as a rather harsh decision by the party high command considering the fact that he was projected as the driver of comeback vehicle of Congress in UP.
The murmurings against PK started after AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad was made in-charge of UP affairs. The move is being seen as party’s endeavour to give Azad free hand in the coming elections.
According to a senior party leader, the selection of PK as poll strategist in UP was taken in view of his success in Bihar elections but the politics of UP was totally different. PK had taken charge of UP affairs about six months ago and has been known to have taken few innovative decisions and implementing various experiments in order to revive the beleaguered party in Uttar Pradesh.
ALSO READ:
Swamy calls Najeeb Jung most ‘unsuited’ person for high post
It was his strategy to start ‘Bus Yatras’ of the senior leaders which according to sources had failed to generate expected support for the party. Various Congress workers had complaint that the new ‘corporate culture’ espoused by PK would not go well with the party’s grass root workers. Moreover, the popular perception that team PK will decide the ticket distribution has also not gone well with the party rank and file.
Some even point out that the Congress looks out of place in Uttar Pradesh as compared to the ruling Samajwadi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.
On the other hand, PK has started working on the counter strategy. One of his strong supporters and a senior party leader defended him saying that it was the propaganda that PK was being isolated from the main stream politics of Congress in Uttar Pradesh.