Prashant Kishor meets Priyanka after bitter parting with Congress years ago

Prashant Kishor was in touch with the Gandhi siblings with a proposal to revive the Congress in 2021

After a bitter parting some years ago, Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor recently met Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, according to a report by Indian Express.

Kishor has been critical of the Congress since he parted ways with it almost three years ago. Even during the recently held Bihar election, Kishor said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s vote theft campaign was not an electoral issue in the state.

The Jan Suraaj Party lost the deposits of 236 (or 99.16%) of its total 238 candidates. The Congress too won just six of the 61 seats it contested, down from 19 in 2020.

He was in touch with the Gandhi siblings with a proposal to revive the Congressin 2021. He also met then Congress president Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence. Rahul and Priyanka were also present along with many senior Congress  leaders. After the meeting, Sonia decided to set up a panel to look into his proposals. Kishor was reportedly willing to join the Congress.

However, the talks fell through after Kishor rebuffed the Congress leadership’s offer to him to be part of the group. According to reports, Kishor wanted a more free hand.

Various reports suggested that Kishor's plans for the party's rejuvenation apparently included a leadership revamp, under which all but mass leaders would be sidelined. That would include most leaders in key teams, including the Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body.

“Following a presentation and discussions with Prashant Kishor, Congress president has constituted an Empowered Action Group 2024 & invited him to join the party as part of the group with defined responsibility. He declined. We appreciate his efforts and suggestions given to the party,” the Congress had then said in a statement.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said Kishor has declined the offer and the party appreciates his efforts and suggestions.

"I declined the generous offer of Congress to join the party as part of the EAG and take responsibility for the elections. In my humble opinion, more than me the party needs leadership and collective will to fix the deep rooted structural problems through transformational reforms," Kishor said in a tweet.