NEW DELHI: Youth group Citizens for Accountable Governance that burst on to the national stage and impressively organised a large event with college students and Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in Delhi last week is the brainchild of a little-known professional who works closely with Modi.Prashant Kishor, a 35-year-old public health specialist, statistics whiz and a former UN mission chief in Africa, has been working with Modi since Dec 2011. In months hence, he has become one of the most trusted and powerful strategists in the Modi organisation. He works pro bono and does not hold an office in the BJP or Gujarat government.He works out of the CM's official residence in Gandhinagar and reports to Modi.When a number of young professionals were reaching out to Modi's office expressing interest in working with the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, it was Kishor who organised them into what is poised to emerge as India's first effective public action committee (PAC), an instrument that has transformed the US campaign landscape but is yet to take root in India. PACs typically raise funds and campaigns for causes that support a particular candidate's political position, effectively canvassing for them. During the 2012 Presidential campaign in the US, Restore our Future, a PAC backing Republican candidate Mitt Romney spent $12 million in advertising alone.CAG, a non-profit company, is actively enrolling part-time members, apart from its 60 full-time paid members. The group aims to enroll some five lakh part-time volunteers ahead of 2014 elections. If they succeed, Modi will have a potent youth force on the ground that is independent of the BJP and is functional, unlike the dysfunctional youth wings of mainstream political parties.Kishor declined to comment for this story. A CAG spokesperson said, "During the exploration of the idea, (his) Kishor's opinions have been sought at important junctures...he continues to engage with us on ideation and as a sounding board."The organisation's funding so far has come from corporations that have donated to the youth movement. These include the Lodha Group, HDFC, Reliance Mutual Fund and Crossword, according to CAG's website.So far, CAG has organised two events. The Young Indian Leader's Conclave in June and Manthan in October. At both events, Modi spent more than eight hours.This is unusual as even at large events such as Vibrant Gujarat, the chief minister typically delivers a speech and leaves. According to people familiar with the situation, the CAG has Modi's blessings and he has committed to spend time at its events.CAG denies there is any commitment from Modi. "In our understanding, he has been supportive of our initiatives and has shown willingness to participate in any future initiatives that merit his participation," a spokesperson said in a written response. CAG currently comprises of 60 members, some of whom have left jobs with marquee employers such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and McKinsey. The group's website features a number of members who are alumni of elite colleges such as IITs and IIMs.Mumbai-based realty company Lodha Group, promoted by Mangal Prabhat Lodha, the BJP MLA from Malabar Hill, pitched in with logistical support. CAG has rented an office from the Lodha Group in Thane.According to filings with the registrar of companies, the first directors of the company were Sagar Gawde and Deependra Gupta, who have also served as directors in Lodha Group companies-Lodha Properties Development Pvt Ltd and Lodha and Nagotra Builders Pvt Ltd, respectively. The two resigned as directors on July 22, 2013 but continued to be 100% shareholders of the company, at least till early September. A CAG spokesperson said members Trusha Parekh and Himanshu Bharara are currently shareholders.A Lodha Group spokesperson said the company had no involvement with CAG apart from a Rs 5 lakh sponsorship it extended the youth group for the Manthan event. "Mr Gupta & Mr Gawde are not directors or employees of Lodha Group. They have been appointed as independent directors by some investors in two companies, which were taken over by us about 3 years ago," the spokesperson said in an emailed response.A CAG spokesperson said Gawde and Gupta, chartered accountant and company secretary, were requested by the organisation to become shareholders and directors as its members were still leaving jobs and positions they held in other companies.Manthan brought together 7,000 students from India's leading colleges, following a nationwide contest for policy ideas that ran for three months and carried cash prizes worth Rs 50 lakh. Next the group plans to organise a record-setting signature campaign against farmer suicides-by collecting 1.25 crore signatures.It is partnering with MS Swaminathan foundation to work on solutions to farmer suicides. The states most plagued by farmer suicides are Congress-ruled.On its website, CAG says it is a group of like-minded professionals who came together at the end of what started as a "coffee-table discussion". The website says the group is not "organisationally linked to any political party".But it leaves enough wiggle room about a future political stand: "While we do not have any political affiliation, on key issues and circumstances at hand, we as a group would not rule out taking a political position that we consider is in line with our core values and national interest."