Ahead of the municipal corporation (MC) elections slated for December, the Congress high command has accommodated former Chandigarh MP and Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, 78, into a newly constituted committee while entrusting sitting MP Manish Tewari with a decisive role in steering the party’s electoral preparations.
Bansal has been included in the ‘Political affairs committee’ but not in the ‘State Election Committee’, which is headed by Tewari and is expected to play a crucial role in the run-up to the polls.
The composition of the two committees, announced by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Friday, triggered considerable discussion within the city Congress unit as the political equation between the Bansal and Tewari camps has remained a talking point since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Both leaders were contenders for the Congress ticket from Chandigarh. The party had eventually gone with Tewari for the seat, triggering resentment among a section of leaders considered close to Bansal. Several office-bearers had subsequently resigned from their organisational posts, while some Bansal supporters were later expelled over alleged anti-party activities during the parliamentary election.
Tewari went on to win the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, considerably strengthening his position within the city Congress. Since then, the MP has increasingly been at the centre of the party’s organisational and political activities in the city.
{{/usCountry}}Tewari went on to win the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, considerably strengthening his position within the city Congress. Since then, the MP has increasingly been at the centre of the party’s organisational and political activities in the city.
{{/usCountry}}The latest arrangement appears to be a balancing act by the Congress high command – Bansal continues to have a place in the party’s larger political decision-making structure while Tewari has a more consequential role when it comes to preparing for the electoral battle.
A sizable number of leaders accommodated in the two committees are considered politically aligned with or close to Tewari, giving his camp a distinct edge as the party prepares for the MC elections.
The timing of the appointments is particularly important as the Congress faces the task of preparing candidates for all 35 wards. Ticket aspirants are expected to intensify lobbying soon.
For the Congress, however, candidate selection may prove only part of the challenge. Managing competing groups within the city unit, preventing rebellion after ticket distribution and putting together an effective ward-level campaign within a limited period will be crucial to its electoral prospects.
The party has already stepped up its grassroots preparations, with Tewari and the Chandigarh Congress leadership focusing on booth-level organisation and ward-wise mobilisation in anticipation of the 2026 civic polls.
‘Will do what high command wants’
Bansal, who has represented the city four times in the Parliament, said he is always willing to work for the party and as the high command pleases. During the UPA regime, he served as a Union minister, holding key portfolios including railways, parliamentary affairs, water resources, finance, science and technology, and earth sciences.