New Delhi: Prashant Kishor is the newest subject of discussion in the Capital's heated political bazaar. Some are talking about the new tricks of the trade he will bring to electioneering in coming months, others are debating the possibilities this "outsider" can introduce in difficult battles.Yet many, including Congressmen, are pointing to the risk he has courted with the difficult assignment of turning around the party's fortunes in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab - which go to polls in February 2017.Having gained the tag of master poll strategist by running the Nitish-Lalu corner in the Bihar elections last November, Kishor is the man being watched from all corners.A discussion with Congress functionaries from UP last week brought out the complexity of the task at hand in a state where the party has been out of favour for three decades. Kishor will now be meeting district Congress chiefs in Lucknow this week.Many believe Kishor's elaborate participation in the organisational brainstorming implies that his feedback will repackage the UP Congress before seeking votes.While some resent the importance being given to an "outsider", there is respect for his access to the Gandhis and their trust in him.Battle-hardened Congress functionaries forever waiting for their party's revival in the cowbelt are racking their brains over what new strategy Kishore can devise to turn their fortunes around. "One thing is sure, he is being taken very seriously. He has bet his popularity on a very tough assignment too soon after his moment of glory in Bihar," a senior UP functionary said.For the man associated with Narendra Modi's 2014 national victory and Nitish Kumar's Bihar triumph in November 2015, it is brave to lend his name to Congress' performance in the Hindi heartland which is run exclusively by SP and BSP and has a strong claimant in BJP.Punjab is not an easy task either. Congress is facing the uncertainty of being the sole alternative to Akali Dal in the face of a serious challenge being mounted by Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal. According to some in Congress, AAP has gained in the war of perception from Congress which has lost twice in succession and is seen cynically by the Akali-weary masses.Congressmen expect Kishor to pitch their party as the alternative to the Akalis among voters through his messaging and strategy - no mean task given Kejriwal's own innovations in connecting with the masses. As a functionary said, the very message that Modi and Nitish's planner is now working for Congress helps create positivity, but "he cannot avoid the responsibility for the outcome".