Chandigarh: The Congress is set to get a new face to lead its Punjab unit ahead of the crucial Assembly elections, with incumbent Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring being called to Delhi for discussions with the party’s high command and senior leader Rahul Gandhi.
The next 48 hours are being seen as significant for the Punjab Congress as party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi hold discussions with leaders of various factions in an effort to build consensus. Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are also believed to be closely following the developments.
The only decision that appears certain at this stage is that Warring will be replaced. Discussions over a change in leadership have been underway since Sachin Pilot took charge of the Punjab Congress after replacing former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel as the party’s state in-charge.
Senior Congress leaders have indicated that Warring would not be asked to formally resign, saying that this is not the party’s usual practice. A senior leader said Warring was informed on Wednesday about the decision to replace him and is expected to meet the top leadership as part of the transition process.
Sources said Warring could also be given another responsibility within the party. According to a senior Congress leader, outgoing state presidents traditionally meet the central leadership to convey a message of unity after a leadership change.
Pilot is also expected to visit Chandigarh this week as the party seeks to present a united front before Rahul Gandhi’s proposed visit to Punjab later this month.
The focus has now shifted to Pilot, who is a legislator from Rajasthan’s Tonk and has served as a senior observer for the Kerala elections. He is expected to work towards bringing together the different factions within the Punjab unit and energising the party cadre.
The Punjab Congress remains divided among several prominent leaders. From the Majha region, the key names include Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Raja Sansi MLA Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla. The Doaba region has leaders such as former Olympian and Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh and former chief minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi. Former Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla is among the prominent leaders from Malwa.
A key question before the high command will be the social and political profile of the new state president. Singla, who is being discussed as a leading contender, is described as one of the party’s prominent Hindu faces. He is the Congress’s joint treasurer, handles properties and assets for the AICC and is a member of the Congress Working Committee.
Channi, meanwhile, has support among sections of the Dalit Sikh community. The source notes that Punjab has the highest proportion of Dalits among Indian states, at around 32% of the state’s population.
The other prominent names are Jat Sikh leaders, who have traditionally exercised considerable influence through their presence in agriculture and landholding.
Pargat, a former minister, previously served as Punjab Congress general secretary (organisation) when Navjot Singh Sidhu headed the state unit. Sarkaria has served as the state’s vice-president and was also a former cabinet minister, while Aujla has been elected to the Lok Sabha twice.
