Amid talk of his likely induction into the Congress at the national level, poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Thursday resigned as Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s principal adviser, saying that he was taking a “temporary break” from active role in public life.
The chief minister has accepted Kishor’s resignation.
The political strategist’s move, which came just six months before the state assembly polls, is on expected lines. He had announced his retirement from election management on May 2, the day the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress whose election work he was handling scored a resounding victory in West Bengal.
In a letter to the chief minister, Kishor said he has not been able to take over the responsibilities as his principal adviser in view of his decision to take a temporary break from active role in public life. “Since I am yet to decide on my future course of action, I write to request you to kindly relieve me from this responsibility. I take this opportunity to thank you for considering me for this position,” he wrote even as political circles in Delhi are abuzz with talk of his induction into the Congress with a senior leadership role.
Kishor, or “PK” as he is often called in political circles, had worked with the Congress in Punjab in the 2017 assembly polls with Amarinder as the state unit president, who wanted him to again manage the party’s campaign in next year’s assembly elections. Amarinder, who first spoke to the election consultant about it more than a year ago, inducted him in the chief minister’s office (CMO) as the principal adviser in the rank and status of a cabinet minister on March 1. He was paid a token honorarium of ₹1 per month, but was entitled to a fully-furnished government residence and camp office, executive class travel, official vehicle, medical facilities and secretarial staff as admissible to a cabinet minister.
{{/usCountry}}Kishor, or “PK” as he is often called in political circles, had worked with the Congress in Punjab in the 2017 assembly polls with Amarinder as the state unit president, who wanted him to again manage the party’s campaign in next year’s assembly elections. Amarinder, who first spoke to the election consultant about it more than a year ago, inducted him in the chief minister’s office (CMO) as the principal adviser in the rank and status of a cabinet minister on March 1. He was paid a token honorarium of ₹1 per month, but was entitled to a fully-furnished government residence and camp office, executive class travel, official vehicle, medical facilities and secretarial staff as admissible to a cabinet minister.
{{/usCountry}}Kishor held meetings with the party’s first-time MLAs and top officials of the state government to gather feedback on the ground realities before getting busy with the West Bengal elections. In May, Kishor announced his retirement from election management work, telling reporters that he had done enough and wanted to quit this space.
On his appointment in Punjab, he said, “If you help someone win an election, it is nothing if they offer you principal adviser or adviser’s post. They always like you to be by their side because it suits them. It is for me to decide whether I want to do that or not. I am telling you that I am not doing this work for anybody anymore.” Though his statement signalled his disinterest in continuing in the principal adviser’s position, he took time to send his resignation.
The poll strategist was seen as the brain behind the “Coffee with Captain” and “Punjab da Captain” that had worked well for the party and the CM-face in 2017. “PK & his team and their work were absolutely critical to our victory in Punjab!” Amarinder had tweeted after the party’s victory.