Ex-Shiv Sena men float hope for Congress

The AICC seems to be relying on former Shiv Sena hardliners in Maharashtra to deliver, hoping that poll strategist Prashant Kishor will make the Congress relevant in Uttar Pradesh.

While in Maharashtra, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is said to have given Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam a free hand hoping that his team can defeat the Shiv Sena, the BJP, the MNS and perhaps the NCP in the upcoming BMC polls, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has virtually declared former chief minister Narayan Rane the leader of Maharashtra by making him a member of Legislative Council despite his defeats in the state Assembly polls and an Assembly by-election in less than two years .

While Mr Nirupam has had the experience of winning only one Lok Sabha election as the Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha member for two terms, Mr Rane had led the Shiv Sena-BJP campaign for the state Assembly in 1999 and 2004 elections unsuccessfully.

Now, the senior Congress leaders are finding it difficult to take lessons from them on how to win elections as they have more experience of winning Assembly and Lok Sabha elections than the two former Shiv Sainiks.

The party leaders would rather take lessons from Sharad Pawar on politics and winning elections. In fact, they would also welcome some directives from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi rather than accepting leadership of Mr Nirupam and Mr Rane.

Similarly in UP, Mr Gandhi, who is being described as the de facto Congress chief, is confident that Prashant Kishor will make the party relevant against BJP’s Narendra Modi-Amit Shah combo, the BSP’s Mayawati and the Yadavs from SP.

However the party managers and officials seem confused about the exact role of Mr Kishor as he is not confined to election strategy or planning.

In Bihar, CM Nitish Kumar and the RJD supremo Lalu Prasad are taking care of the Congress’ interests as the party has no plans to make it a force to reckon with.