Mumbai:
Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor may have a fresh assignment on hands.
After the Bihar polls debacle, Kishor, say reports, is in touch with the Sunetra Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, or NCP, to help revamp the regional party.
The move by Sunetra Pawar to bring in Kishor has triggered fresh chatter and unease within sections of the party, especially among leaders seen as close to outgoing strategist Naresh Arora.
Sources said a two-hour meeting took place earlier this week between NCP national president Sunetra Pawar, MP Parth Pawar and Prashant Kishor, during which the broad contours of the new political arrangement were discussed.
Prashant ji is a friend and like a brother. He is known to us since Dada’s time. Yesterday he was in town so we had pleasure to have him at home for lunch and some insightful conversation.
Regarding some speculation about him working with NCP, let me set the record straight. To…
— Parth Sunetra Ajit Pawar (@parthajitpawar) May 19, 2026
Kishor’s clients’ list includes the who’s who of the political world, starting from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s winning campaign in 2014. The list of successful clients includes Arvind Kejriwal, Amarinder Singh (then in the Congress), Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, among others. However, his partnership with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh failed dismally.
Legal formalities, say sources, are expected to be completed in the next two days, after which Kishor’s team is likely to formally begin work for the party from June 1.
NDTV reached out to Kishor’s team, and a response is awaited.
The development comes at a sensitive time for NCP, which has been dealing with internal friction, organisational uncertainty and concerns over its political messaging ahead of upcoming local body and Assembly battles.
The party lost its biggest leader Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in January.
Within the party, the transition is an extension of changing the lens of internal equations.
Naresh Arora, who had been handling strategic and organisational inputs for the party, was considered close to senior leaders Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel.
His exit and the possible entry of Kishor’s network has led to speculation over whether a new power centre is emerging around a younger leadership structure involving Parth Pawar and Sunetra Pawar.
Party insiders said the appointment has created anxiety among some functionaries who fear restructuring within the media, digital and organisational setup once Kishor’s team takes charge.
Others, however, believe the move signals an attempt by the leadership to aggressively rebuild the party’s image and sharpen its electoral machinery after recent political setbacks.
