How permanent is Kishor-Cong rift?

The last chapter of the Prashant Kishor-Congress story is yet to be written. The election strategist has walked out on the grand old party for the second time. The parting this time has not been as bitter as the previous one. When things didn’t work out between the two last year, Kishor had hinted that there was some leadership tussle between the party and him.

In a tweet, he said that the leadership of the Congress was not the divine right of an individual. The two sides seem to have overcome this issue. Kishor has accepted that the leadership of the Congress would remain in the hands of the Gandhi family even if the party decides to appoint a non-Gandhi as the new president. It would be like a corporate arrangement where the family owns a company and hires a CEO to run it. 

What Kishor wanted this time was the post of the CEO. He wanted to report directly to the family. But the family already has a full board in place that is packed with trusted loyalists. It appreciated Kishor’s plan and expressed its willingness to adopt it. But it was not ready to accept Kishor’s demand of putting him above the board. The family asked him to join the board and work as an equal with other members.

Kishor could have worked his way up as a board member and become first among equals there by translating his plan into action and reviving the party’s electoral fortunes. But Kishor is a man in a hurry. He wants the best. And he wants it now. What he does not realise is that he has managed to get an old elephant to move. And that is no mean achievement. But to be able to ride the elephant and make it run, he would need to earn its confidence, which can only happen over time. 

It is clear to both the Gandhis and Kishor that they need each other. The tussle is only on the terms of engagement. It is but natural for some old loyalists on the board to feel insecure at the arrival of a new favourite. But the company owner seems to have decided to reverse the negative results. A third round of talks with Kishor, therefore, cannot be ruled out.