Poll strategist Prashant Kishor has declined the invitation by Congress president Sonia Gandhi to join the party as a member of an Empowered Action Group with "defined responsibility", Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said on Tuesday (26 April).

Kishor had on 16 April given a detailed presentation on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections at a meeting of top Congress leaders at party president Sonia Gandhi's residence.

Following the presentation, the Sonia Gandhi had constituted an eight-member committee to deliberate on recommendations made by the poll strategist to the party.

After receiving the panel report last week, the Congress president on Monday (25 April) set up yet another internal group - the Empowered Action Group 2024 - to address the political challenges the party faces.

On Tuesday (26 April), Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala took to Twitter to inform that Kishor had declined party's invitation to join the Group.

"Following a presentation and discussions with Prashant Kishor, Congress President has constituted a Empowered Action Group 2024 and invited him to join the party as part of the group with defined responsibility. He declined," Surjewala tweeted.

"We appreciate his efforts and suggestion given to party," he added.

In a tweet, Prashant Kishor said that the Congress needs leadership more than him, adding that there are deep-rooted structural problems in the party that needed to be fixed through "transformational reforms".

"I declined the generous offer of Congress to join the party as part of the EAG and take responsibility for the elections," Prashant said in a tweet.

"In my humble opinion, more than me the party needs leadership and collective will to fix the deep rooted structural problems through transformational reforms," he added.