After Sonia Gandhi, Amarinder Singh calls on Prashant Kishor, sparks speculation

A DAY after meeting AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday met political strategist Prashant Kishor at his residence in Delhi.

The meeting has raised eyebrows in political circles back in Punjab.

Kishor, who was appointed principal adviser by the Amarinder, had come to Punjab during the recent Assembly elections in a few states, including West Bengal. However soon after the results, he had expressed his intentions to hang up his boots as a political strategist.

The CM camp in Punjab was elated at the meeting, which took place amid a feud between Amarinder and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, and a banner of revolt raised by several other party leaders. Rumblings for a demand in change of leadership have also been reported in the recent past. A few leaders, considered close to Amarinder, said Kishor’s “apparent interest in Punjab” was enough to give his camp a new lease of life after the party was hit by a “damaging” internal crisis.

Sources however said that the strategist was determined not to take up any assignment to strategise for any political leaders. A source close to Kishor said, “What if he has met the chief minister? The CM is personally known to him. He wanted to meet and Kishor was in Delhi. So, he met him.”

The source further said: “Kishor has publicly announced that he has quit this work he used to do. There is no change in his position.”

Although most of the MLAs have been against signing up Kishor in the past, the CM camp is now keen that he takes up assignment with Amarinder. “Kishor is now more important in the game of perception,” said a party leader who did not wish to be named. Kishor, sources said, has been calling up leaders in Punjab, stating that the situation in Punjab Congress was very confusing and he was not able to make out what to do.