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Poll strategist Prashant Kishor has resigned from the post of principal advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh months before the Assembly elections in the state. “In view

of my decision to take a temporary break from active role in public life, I’ve not been able to take over the responsibilities as your principal advisor. I request you to kindly relieve me

from this responsibility,” Kishor told Singh, according to news agency ANI. Back in March this year, Amarinder Singh had tweeted saying, “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!” Soon after Singh had 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 had said in a statement. KISHOR'S

LIKELY INDUCTION IN THE CONGRESS PARTY Kishor and his political strategy company I-PAC has been instrumental in designing campaign strategy for Opposition parties and his recent success with

Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal Assembly Elections has even caught the eye of the Congress leadership. On 13 July, Kishor met with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at his residence in

Delhi. According to reports, party leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, and Harish Rawat were also at Gandhi's residence when the meeting took place. Ever since then, buzz in

political corridors regarding his future role in the Congress party have come up, specifically regarding a new post of General Secretary in-charge for election strategy. According to a

_Hindustan Times_ report, Gandhi has told Kishor to join the Congress if he is interested in helping the party win elections. The report, citing Congress sources, states that Kishor's

plan involves a complete organisational overhaul of the party, including a new parliamentary board. Citing Congress sources, _The Times of India_ reports that Kishor has suggested the

Congress top brass to set up a special advisory committee under party president Sonia Gandhi. “He wants a national role, and is not hooked on the usual sought-after designations like AICC

general secretary,” reported _Times of India_, quoting a Congress senior leader. The Congress is preparing for polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and some northeastern states

in 2022. Kishor has recently handled campaigns of the Trinamool Congress, the DMK and the YSRCP and has relations across party lines. Kishor has been meeting Nationalist Congress Party

supremo Sharad Pawar, and their frequent meetings had fuelled speculations on the creation of a "third front" to combat the BJP. But Kishor has categorically rejected this

possibility, and insisted that without Congress, it can't be possible to challenge the BJP. _(With inputs from Hindustan Times, The Times of India, IANS)_ Published: 05 Aug 2021, 9:58

AM IST