How Prashant Kishor has upended the UP elections by proposing Priyanka Gandhi for CM

The Kishor strategy of disruption is clear - from being nowhere in the reckoning, people have begun talking about the Congress. The games have begun

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Prashant Kishor’s formula for the Congress’s resuscitation in Uttar Pradesh is as follows: Rahul Gandhi; if he demurs, then Priyanka; and if she also doesn’t want to lead the party in the state, then Sheila Dikshit. This is a sure way of shooting down the chances of at least one person. Even assuming that the venerable Dikshit – who has proven credentials as a chief minister and administrator, having bucked incumbency three times (a record not many Congress CMs can boast of) to lead the Delhi Congress – is willing to re-enter the snake-pit of UP politics at the age of 75-plus, what should we really expect from her? Every mohalla Brahmin who is a secret Congress sympathiser will be ready to jump into the fray – if it is to be Sheila Dikshit, why not me?

Two things are obvious. One, that Sonia Gandhi has retreated completely from decision making. She merely initials suggestions emanating from Tughlak Lane and 10 Janpath is merely a re-tweeting authority where a retweet is an endorsement. The leadership transition is happening even as we speak. In this process, many are deeply unhappy. They had invested in 10 Janpath and that piece of real estate is rapidly becoming worthless. The older leaders in the party knew and trusted the moves made by 10 Janpath. They don’t understand alternate poles of power like Prashant Kishor. No rebellion yet, but sabotage cannot be ruled out.

The second follows the first. If Sonia Gandhi is retreating, Rahul Gandhi cannot leave the running of the party and allow himself to be boxed in. If he becomes party president after May 19, as is generally expected, Priyanka will have to willy-nilly take charge in UP. To that extent, Dikshit etc are red herrings: no doubt they are conscious of it as well.

What is clear is the Kishor strategy of disruption. The Congress was nowhere in the reckoning in UP. Now suddenly people have begun talking about the party, there is discussion and speculation and the games have begun.

The BJP is also watching warily. Quietly, Smriti Irani is doing a lot of work in Amethi: children are being given admission in Central Schools and school buildings are being refurbished. It was odd to meet the pramukh of a tehsil in Amethi at the BJP office. If Priyanka jumps into the fray, the BJP will have to tweak its campaign. It was originally meant to be caste plus development. With Priyanka, dynasty will be added.

Narendra Modi does not want Hindutva. He wants development as the campaign plank. At the national executive meeting of the BJP recently he told the gathering: “People who don’t have Rs 1 lakh in their account are offering bounties on people’s heads (referring to the bounty on Kanhaiya Kumar). What is going on? Who are these people? We are working to develop India and these people want to drag India back.”

In all, with or without Priyanka, the UP election promises to be the most exciting ever. With Priyanka, more so. For that, thank you Prashant Kishor.