Four years after helping the Congress party come to power in Punjab, Prashant Kishor is returning to the state to assist Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ahead of the assembly elections that are scheduled to be held next year.
On Monday, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced that poll strategist Prashant Kishor has joined him as his principal advisor.
Taking to Twitter, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder 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”.
Prashant Kishor (political strategist) has joined me as my Principal Advisor. Look forward to working together for the betterment of the people of Punjab: Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh pic.twitter.com/CgdsX27T5d
— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2021
The Punjab Cabinet has also cleared Prashant Kishor’s appointment as Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister.
Prashant Kishore and his Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) had handled Amarinder Singh’s election campaign in Punjab in the 2017 assembly polls, in which the Congres party had secured a massive victory. The Congress party had won 77 out of 117 seats in the Assembly polls against the SAD-BJP alliance, which had ruled the state for over a decade.
Reportedly, Captain Amarinder Singh was trying to bring in Prashant Kishor to his team since last year, however, due to Kishor’s other commitments, he had expressed his inability to take the assignment. Currently, Kishor and IPAC are handling the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress’ campaign for the upcoming West Bengal elections.
Meanwhile, Amarinder Singh has spoken to Prashant Kishor and has asked him to formulate the party’s strategy for the 2022 Punjab assembly elections. There were also reports that AAP was keen to hire Prashant Kishor for the next elections, but the party has denied it.