Nitish Kumar's search for a larger national role than of Bihar chief minister has driven him to become a deal maker for the Congress Party. Taking time off from the onerous responsibility of lifting one of the most backward states into the higher trajectory of growth, he landed in Delhi on Sonia Gandhi's birthday to wish her many happy returns of the day on her turning 69. In the meeting, he dutifully reported to her about his 'so-called' exploratory meeting with Assam's once-powerful political group AGP and its life-time leader Prafulla Kumar Mohanta. His meeting with Mohanta, with whom former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandh signed the Assam Accord in the mid-eighties, was conducted as a new national deal maker of the grand old party of India. The Congress, in view of the strong challenge it's facing from the BJP in Assam, is keen on a 'tactical alliance' with the Islamist outfit of business tycoon Badruddin Ajmal's All-India United Democratic Front, while offsetting its 'pro-Islamist' image with an alliance with the AGP. In brief, the Congress wants to run with the hare and hound with the wolves. The Bihar chief minister is also said to have offered the services of the hugely successful poll campaigner Prashant Kishor for managing Congress Party's campaign in the assembly election of Assam next year. In fact, before meeting Sonia Gandhi at her residence, Kumar had a long meeting with Kishor. Speculations have also heightened in recent days that, in view of the importance being accorded to Kishor by the Bihar government, the electoral poll strategist may soon enter the portals of the Rajy Sabha.