Political strategist Prashant Kishor on Monday, 1 March joined Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh’s team as his political advisor “in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister.”
The development comes as Punjab is set to go to polls in early 2022, where Singh is keen on returning for another term as the chief minister.
Taking to Twitter, Singh said: “Happy to share that @PrashantKishor has joined me as my Principal Advisor. Look forward to working together for the betterment of the people of Punjab! (sic)”
Soon after Singh announced it on Twitter, the Punjab Cabinet cleared Kishor’s appointment as: “Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister,” the state government said in a statement.
HOW IS THIS POLITICALLY SIGNIFICANT?
Kishor and his political strategist firm Indian-Political Action Committee (I-PAC) have been credited with sucessfully strategising campaingns mostly for the Opposition leaders through several Assembly elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
His stint with Amarinder comes after having strategised election campaigns for Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, and Shiv Sena’s Aditya Thackeray in the past.
The development comes as the resentment against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is at its peak in Punjab amid the farmers’ protests that have been continuuing for months in Delhi against the Centre’s three contentious farm laws.
Kishor’s past track record of successful strategies for Opposition leaders might also come as a bigger challenge this time for the BJP, which is expected to go solo in the elections next year after a fall out with long-term ally in the state – the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – over the three farm laws. Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal even resigned from the Narendra Modi Cabinet.
Kishor has also been associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), ahead of the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, which were swept by the party. However, AAP being one of Congress’ main rivals in Punjab, Kishor seems to have chosen his side at least for the Punjab elections.
According to The Tribune, Kishor’s team is said to have carried out assessment surveys in the state, following which he is learnt to have told the Congress government to fulfil the nine key promises made ahead of the 2017 Assembly elections.
(With inputs from The Tribune.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)