Congress High Command to Hear Punjab Leaders One-on-One After Ludhiana Bypoll Loss
After the disappointing result in the Ludhiana Assembly by-election, the Congress high command has decided to meet Punjab leaders individually to understand the problems within the party and stop internal group fights.
Sources say some leaders want the party to do a proper ground-level survey to see which Hindu, Dalit, or Jat leaders are truly popular with the people. They believe this will help the party choose a strong leader to take charge in Punjab.
This move comes after Bhupesh Baghel, the Congress leader in charge of Punjab, accepted the resignations of senior leaders Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Pargat Singh, and Kushaldeep Dhillon. They stepped down, taking moral responsibility for the poor performance in the bypoll.
Starting with Ashu—who was the Congress candidate in the Ludhiana bypoll—other leaders like Charanjit Singh Channi, Rana Gurjeet Singh, and Pargat Singh will soon be called to Delhi for one-on-one discussions.
Ashu has openly called for unity, saying that Punjab needs a Congress that is united, clear in its goals, and strong in purpose. In a recent social media post, he said, “I hope these discussions lead to reflection, not revenge, and that decisions are guided by values, not politics.”
Meanwhile, different groups within the party are blaming each other for the loss. One group, led by Ashu, says the top Punjab Congress leadership tried to sabotage the campaign. The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), on the other hand, claims the campaign was controlled by a small group, while many senior leaders were left out.
There are also allegations that new leaders were added to the party without the high command’s permission, which created more confusion and tension.
Ashu has denied running a separate campaign or creating divisions in the party. He said some leaders were asked not to campaign for him, and questioned why certain people tried to weaken his efforts.
He added, “Those who worked closely with me know how sincerely I tried. Yes, there were coordination problems, and I take my share of the blame for that.”
Ashu ended by saying the party should focus on why the public didn’t connect with them, rather than playing blame games within the party.
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