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Punjab Congress set for leadership change ahead of 2027 assembly polls
With former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel taking over as the general secretary in charge of Punjab, the party high command is learnt to have started deliberating a change of guard in the state unit. The matter is said to have come up during a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries in New Delhi recently.
The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) is likely to see a leadership change in the coming days as the party gears up for the 2027 assembly elections.
With former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel taking over as the general secretary in charge of Punjab, the party high command is learnt to have started deliberating a change of guard in the state unit. The matter is said to have come up during a meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries in New Delhi recently.
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring had taken over the reins of the state unit in April 2022, replacing Navjot Singh Sidhu, following the party’s disappointing performance in the assembly elections. Under Warring’s leadership, the Congress secured seven out of 13 seats in Punjab during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Despite that discussions on leadership change within the party have continued.
“The appointment of a new PPCC president is expected to be announced soon, with the aim of strengthening the party’s position in the state,” said a party source.
Top contenders
Several senior Congress leaders are vying for the post, with names of leader of Opposition in the Punjab assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Vijay Inder Singla, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Pargat Singh, former speaker Rana Kawar Pal and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa doing the rounds.
Meanwhile, bickering within the party unit has intensified with Rana Gurjeet openly criticising LoP Bajwa and PPCC president Warring for denying his son a Lok Sabha ticket. Warring is said to have cautioned Rana Gurjeet against approaching the media and told him to instead raise their issues on the party platform.
Push for Hindu face
While Channi and Bajwa appear to be the front runners for the post, a section of the party, is pushing for a Hindu face. “AAP has appointed Aman Arora as its state unit president to retain Hindu votes. To a prevent the Hindu votes from slipping to the Bharatiya Janata Party, we must have a Hindu face as the state chief. The PPCC is a highly Jat-dominated unit, which is not going down well with the Dalit and Hindu voters,” said a Hindu leader.
Some within the party feel that elected MPs must not be given leverage in state politics as the competition may give rise to factionalism.
Meanwhile, Channi, who turned down the offer for the general secretary’s post, said, “I am thankful that the party has considered my name for the post of general secretary, which I didn’t take. I will work in Punjab.”
Incumbent president Warring, meanwhile, remarked that more contenders for the PPCC post is a good sign as it points to internal democracy. “All of us will abide by what the party decides,” he said.
