HIGHLIGHTS

• Rashtra Manch was founded by Yashwant Sinha in 2018
• Sharad Pawar will also host the NCP’s national executive meet on Tuesday
• I rule out association with any third front gathering: Poll strategist Prashant Kishor

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor told India Today that he will not be part of the informal meeting to be hosted by NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday. The meeting of Rashtra Manch, a political forum established by Yashwant Sinha, is scheduled to be held at Pawar’s 6 Janpath residence in New Delhi.

“I rule out association with any such third front gathering,” Prashant Kishor told India Today. The political strategist went on to say that he does not believe that a third or fourth front can challenge the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Interestingly, Prashant Kishor met Sharad Pawar at the latter’s official residence in New Delhi on Monday. The meeting lasted for nearly three hours and was the second such interaction between the poll strategist and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief over a period of 10 days.

Kishor had earlier met Pawar at his Silver Oaks residence in Mumbai on June 11. When asked, the political strategist had told reporters that the meeting was a mere ‘courtesy lunch’ and not a discussion on political strategy.

However, Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik said on Monday that Sharad Pawar is “working to unite all opposition leaders”.

The meeting at 6 Janpath on Tuesday will be attended by Trinamool Congress leader Yashwant Sinha, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah, and former JD(U) MP Pavan Verma.

Others who are expected to attend include lyricist Javed Akhtar, journalist Karan Thapar and economist Arun Kumar.

In addition to the Rashtra Manch meet, NCP chief Sharad Pawar is also slated to host the NCP’s national executive meeting at his official residence in New Delhi on Tuesday.