Poll strategist Prashant Kishor has met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi quietly for a few times now, to discuss the party's revival ahead of a spate of Assembly elections next year, including in Uttar Pradesh, sources said.
Rahul Gandhi has informally discussed the plan with the Congress leaders and sought their view for Kishor's entry into the party, and to what extent he can be given responsibility for the party's poll strategy, say party leaders, who were part of these deliberations.
Kishor, who has also met General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and interim chief Sonia Gandhi in these deliberations, has given a plan to the Congress leadership and the talking points are being discussed amongst the senior leaders. Kishor who is likely to take political plunge soon in the Congress but debate on his position in the party is on.
Sources said that Kishor may be appointed as General Secretary in charge of election management, but party seniors insist that giving sole responsibility of elections to one person is not a good idea as Kishor cannot be trusted in totality, but nobody is averse of his joining the party.
Since Kishor met Rahul Gandhi on July 13 and submitted his plan, many rounds of meetings have taken place within the Congress setup, and some party leaders feel his skills may be used in the elections.
The Congress is preparing for polls in UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and some northeastern states next year. Kishor has recently handled campaigns of the Trinamool Congress, the DMK and the YSRCP and has relations across party lines. Most recently, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has roped him for his advice in the run-up for elections.
Kishor has been meeting Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar too, and their frequent meetings had fuelled speculations on the creation of a "third front" to combat the BJP. But Kishor has categorically rejected this possibility, and insisted that without Congress, it can't be possible to challenge the BJP.