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Congress expels Ghanaur ex-MLA Jalalpur for anti-party activities
Action follows public remarks against central leadership and confrontation during party’s Patiala outreach programme
Amid a deepening rift within its state unit over the post of the PPCC president, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee expelled former Ghanaur MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur for indiscipline and anti-party activities.
The decision followed fresh public dissent during the party’s Har Booth Mazboot programme in Patiala on Saturday, where a group backed by Jalalpur engaged in a heated argument with PPCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring in the presence of Punjab Congress in-charge Bhupesh Baghel.
Punjab Congress disciplinary committee chairman Avtar Henry said the party would not tolerate such indiscipline, noting that Jalalpur had repeatedly engaged in anti-party activities and failed to provide a satisfactory response for his defamatory statements against the central leadership.
On July 6, the disciplinary committee issued a show-cause notice to Jalalpur regarding his remarks to the media against Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and Baghel. Henry noted in a July 9 letter that although Jalalpur was given three days to respond, his explanation was unsatisfactory, leading to his suspension from the party’s primary membership.
The suspension letter was deliberately kept under wraps for nearly three weeks as senior leaders attempted behind-the-scenes reconciliation to prevent further factionalism during Baghel’s state visit. However, after Jalalpur’s supporters openly confronted Warring at the Patiala outreach programme, the leadership abandoned quiet diplomacy and made the order public to send a stern disciplinary signal.
Baghel and Warring reiterated the party’s stance, emphasising that anyone breaching organisational discipline or undermining the leadership would be shown the door.
The conflict traces back to a July 3 gathering at former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s residence, where Jalalpur accused Venugopal and Baghel of ignoring worker sentiments by retaining Warring as state unit chief. He claimed the Congress could not win elections under Warring’s leadership and warned that ignoring grassroots workers would lead to a worse defeat than in the 2022 assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Jalalpur claimed he had not said anything against senior party leaders, including Venugopal and Baghel: “I just expressed my genuine sentiments after Warring was reappointed as party president of the state unit.”
He added that he was never served a show-cause notice for his response.
Channi, accompanied by senior Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu and other party functionaries, visited Jalalpur’s residence later on Saturday to express solidarity with him.
Referring to Jalalpur’s suspension, Channi said the PCC disciplinary committee chairman had no right to expel or suspend any AICC or PPCC member as per the party constitution.
Channi said these leaders were assets for the Congress party and it must stand with them as they had stood by the party through thick and thin.
