Explained: The inside dope on why the Congress-PK deal didn’t go through

New Delhi, Apr 27: The deal between Prashant Kishore and the Congress went wrong with the former refusing to join the party.

He said that the party needs leadership.

He also said that the party needs a collective will to fix deep rooted structural problems. 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 said after the Congress announced his decision.

A large chunk of the leadership within the Congress said that they could not trust Kishor. Their fears were confirmed when Kishore's I-PAC signed a deal with the TRS in Telangana.

Following this deal, the Telangana Congress immediately rung the high command telling them to be weary of taking Kishor into the party. Following this a Congress sub-committee was formed to discuss the situation. Prior to this the Congress even sent a signal to Kishor asking him to clarify his stand on the I-PAC-TRS deal.

Kishor was expected to work in the party's framework. Moreover the Congress felt that Kishor was asking for absolute power.

"Following a presentation & discussions with Sh. Prashant Kishor, Congress President has constituted a Empowered Action Group 2024 & invited him to join the party as part of the group with defined responsibility. He declined. We appreciate his efforts & suggestion given to party," senior Congress leader, Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted.

While several rounds of talks were held, nothing materialised as many were opposed to Kishor joining the party. Some had objected to his links with rivals such as the Trinamool Congress, YSR Congress Party and TRS.