After Bihar rout, why is PK’s quiet meeting with Priyanka sparking buzz

Delhi’s power corridors are rife with speculation about a recent meeting between Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at Sonia Gandhi’s residence, nearly a month after the Bihar Assembly elections in which both parties fared poorly.

Coming amid past tensions—with Kishor having taken to social media to explain why he declined Congress’ offer to join an empowered group after presenting revival ideas for what he described as “deep-rooted structural problems through transformational reforms”—both sides downplayed their first meeting in three years. Priyanka also dismissed it, saying, “Nobody is interested in who I meet.”

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Jan Suraaj won zero seats; Congress managed only six. Kishor’s credibility as a political strategist faced serious questions after Jan Suraaj’s zero-seat result, despite over-the-top claims of winning over 150 seats or fewer than 10. His party secured just a 3.4 per cent vote share.

So does Kishor have any potential political utility for Congress post his Bihar debacle and past failed collaborations, especially after his very public social media outburst: “I declined the generous offer of #Congress to join the party as part of the EAG & take responsibility for the elections. In my humble opinion, more than me, the party needs leadership and collective will to fix the deep-rooted structural problems through transformational reforms.”

Kishor’s track record includes successes such as Punjab 2017 for Congress, but talks in 2022 collapsed over his demands, which senior leaders rejected as untrustworthy. Even then, Priyanka Gandhi was said to be more inclined towards bringing him on board.

Bihar’s zero seats for Jan Suraaj undermine Kishor’s strategist credentials, reducing his appeal. Added to this are questions over his ability to align with any ideology — or rather his “lack of ideology,” as some analysts describe it — and “arrogance,” evident from his media interactions ahead of the Bihar polls.

If Kishor is bargaining with Congress now, it would be from a very weak position.

So far, he has said he will stay put in Bihar for the next 10 years and work on building his party. Congress, especially Priyanka, seems to be looking at the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections. In that context, the chances of any fruitful reunion seem slim, given Kishor’s past criticisms and the party’s reluctance to cede control. Plus, associating with Kishor also risks highlighting Congress’ weaknesses; and then there are no guaranteed gains, especially after the performance of his party in Bihar.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on what follows next.