Prashant Kishor gets YSR Cong job despite UP failure
YSR Congress party, the principal opposition party in Andhra Pradesh, has decided to engage the services of popular political strategist Prashant Kishor, notwithstanding his failed ideas given to the Congress party for the Uttar Pradesh elections.
According to party sources, YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy had signed a deal with Prashant Kishor in September, 2016 to work out strategies for his party to come to power in the 2019 elections. As per the agreement, Prashant’s team — Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) — is supposed to commence the work for YSRC in Andhra soon.
After results of the UP elections, there were second thoughts in the YSRC over kishor’s abilities to help the party to take on the ruling Telugu Desam Party in 2019 elections.
“Yet, Jagan brushed aside all the apprehensions of the seniors and decided to go ahead with Prashant’s team. Apparently, he was impressed with Prashant’s strategies in Punjab which helped the Congress to return to power after a gap of 10 years. The Congress had little chances of coming to power in UP and Prashant alone cannot be blamed for its failure,” a YSRC leader, who preferred anonymity, told HT.
He said IPAC would begin its work for the YSR Congress party from June. “The team would first study the political situation in Andhra Pradesh, including the anti-incumbency atmosphere building up in the state against the present Telugu Desam Party regime led by N Chandrababu Naidu. From September, Prashant’s team will roll out its strategy,” the YSRC leader said.
Sources said apart from Prashant, the YSRC is also in touch with a couple of other strategists to design a comprehensive plan of action for the next elections. “Prashant is an excellent strategist, but it all depends on Jagan how he would utilise his services. After all, a strategist alone cannot be held responsible for the loss or gain of the political leadership,” observed Sriram Karri, popular author and political analyst.
In fact, the YSRC has already started its preparations for the next elections by launching a series of public meetings demanding special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
“Jagan has been focussing especially on youth by touring universities and colleges highlighting the special category status issue. Besides, he has also activated the social media wing to attract maximum number of youth,” party sources said.
Jagan is also contemplating launching padayatra sometime in the last quarter of the year, probably in September, to reach out to the people across Andhra Pradesh, on the lines of his father late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy who walked across the length and breadth of state for over 1600 km in 2003, that had catapulted him to power in 2004 assembly elections.