No knowledge of appointment of Prashant Kishor as NCP strategist: Sunil Tatkare

Mumbai, Aug 7 (IANS) Maharashtra state president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sunil Tatkare on Friday said he has no knowledge about Jan Suraaj Party MLA Prashant Kishor’s appointment as the party’s strategist and that he has not been informed by Deputy Chief Minister and party national president Sunetra Pawar about any change in state leadership.

“I don’t want to comment on PK’s meeting with Sunetra Pawar. I don’t think about the same. Today, I met our leader Sunetra Pawar, where I was told about their meeting. I don’t think any organisational or political issues were discussed in that meeting,” said Tatkare, addressing a press conference.

He was referring to a marathon six-hour-long meeting between Kishor, Sunetra Pawar and her son, Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar. In the meeting, Kishor advocated for an organisational overhaul in the party’s state unit, including a change in state leadership.

Kishor’s third meeting in the last two months with Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar was also to cement his future association with them as a political strategist.

Tatkare, however, said he has no knowledge about Kishor’s appointment as party strategist and added that had he been appointed officially, he would have known already.

“I have spent over 40 years in practical politics. I am a practical politician and work on the ground, among people. I focus more on practicals than theory. I don’t want to comment on any strategist. I don’t rely on strategists in my constituency, at least,” he said.

Tatkare added that he has been working with experienced and senior-most politicians like Vasantdada Patil, A.R. Antulay, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sharad Pawar.

“All these leaders come from ground-level politics. I myself have canvassed the entire state at least eight times, handled critical responsibilities over time and have come to this place from a tehsil-level leader. More than any sources who lose elections, my roots count more,” he said.

He, however, added that strategists may have a role within political parties on a larger canvas. “But I don’t think he has been hired till now by my party,” he reiterated, adding that he doesn’t want to comment on what sources are saying.

When asked whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be unhappy over engaging with a leader like Kishor who has defeated the BJP, Tatkare said the concerns of the BJP could be real if Kishor is actually appointed by his party.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Dattamama Bharane claimed that Prashant Kishor is the party’s advisor and that the party will benefit from his advice in the days to come.

–IANS

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