New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday appointed former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot as its general secretary in charge of poll-bound Punjab,
replacing former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel. The party made the change as it prepares for the 2027 Punjab Assembly election amid continuing factional tensions in its state unit.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary for Organisation KC Venugopal said in a statement that the appointments would take effect immediately.
Punjab unit faces divisions
The Punjab Congress has faced internal divisions since the party announced a new leadership structure in July. Under the arrangement, the party retained Amrinder Singh Raja Warring as Punjab Congress president and appointed former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi as chairman of the campaign committee.
Several leaders aligned with Channi later demanded Warring’s removal during a meeting with Baghel. The dispute soon became public as supporters of the rival groups raised slogans and clashed at party events. Pilot will now have to bring the competing groups together and improve coordination among the party’s key leaders in Punjab. He will also seek to ensure that internal disputes do not weaken the Congress’s election campaign.
Candidate selection major task
Apart from handling organisational responsibilities, Pilot will oversee the politically sensitive candidate-selection process for the 2027 Assembly polls.
The Congress hopes to present a united challenge to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. However, differences among its senior leaders could affect the party’s preparations if the central leadership fails to settle them.
Pilot’s assignment has gained added importance because factional disputes also troubled the Punjab Congress before its defeat in the 2022 Assembly election. The party had replaced Amarinder Singh as chief minister months before the polls and appointed Channi to the post, but it failed to retain power.
Baghel moved to Assam
The Congress has transferred Baghel from Punjab to Assam, where he will serve as the party’s general secretary in charge. The party also appointed Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala as its general secretary in charge of Gujarat. He will continue to oversee the party’s affairs in Karnataka.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat has been given charge of Chhattisgarh. Dr Sirivella Prasad will oversee Maharashtra, while PV Mohan has been appointed in charge of Andhra Pradesh.
