With eyes on 2027 polls, Bajwa leads Cong crusade in Punjab

Partap Singh Bajwa, who opposed the Congress-AAP alliance in Punjab, attacks the state government as much as he targets the BJP, dubbing both parties as anti-Punjab.

With Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring busy with his own campaign in Ludhiana, leader of the Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa, 67, has emerged as the driving force behind the grand old party’s crusade in the state.

Well-versed with the core issues that matter to the state, Partap Singh Bajwa is careful to touch upon topics that are more likely to resonate with his audience.

Trying to fill the void after a series of high-profile defections left the state unit struggling, Bajwa’s goals aren’t limited to just the Lok Sabha elections -- he has his eyes set on the 2027 assembly polls.

Addressing a group of party workers, he makes his chief ministerial aspirations known. “Punjab needs a CM like Pratap Singh Kairon to sail through. Kairon was from Majha. He was a thorough leader and visionary. That’s why my father named me Partap. Waheguru kirpa kare, sarkar 2027 ch Congress di hovegi and tuhade veer de kol jimeedari hovegi (God willing, the Congress will come to power the state in 2027, your brother will hold the key responsibility,” he tells the party workers, trying to boost their morale.

Well-versed with the core issues that matter to the state, he is careful to touch upon topics that are more likely to resonate with his audience. Also hard to miss is his seamless switch from Punjabi –while canvassing in rural pockets – to English when addressing the business groups.

Addressing a rally in Dhariwal town of Gurdaspur, where a sizeable population is engaged in agrarian activities and youngsters are known to harbour army dreams, the Congress leader says, “I asked a youngster why he isn’t taking part in the Agniveer recruitment. He replied that if selected, he would end up retiring even before his father.”

He then speaks of the farmers issues – minimum support price (MSP) and the “maltreatment of farmers at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party”. “The BJP is just a pro-business lobby, we’re here to save the Army and the peasantry,” the former PPCC chief says.

Later meeting with a select group of industrialists in Ludhiana, he speaks about the GST regime, income tax overreach among other topics. “Everyone is suffering under the BJP’s rule, except a few bigwigs,” he says.

Targets BJP and AAP equally

Bajwa, who opposed the Congress-AAP alliance in Punjab, attacks the state government as much as he targets the BJP, dubbing both parties as anti-Punjab. “Punjab has slipped into the wrong hands. Bhagwant Mann is not fit to be a CM. Corruption has reached new heights under this government,” the Congress leader says.

“Bhagwant Mann is known for his jokes, but running a government is serious business,” he says.

“The AAP has already admitted that the INDIA bloc will have a Congress prime minister, then why vote for the AAP,” he tells the voters.