The Congress’ central leadership appointed Sachin Pilot as the organisation in-charge for Punjab on Saturday night, replacing Bhupesh Baghel, in a move apparently aimed at calming some of the friction in the state unit.
It came as part of a major reshuffle, and Baghel, a former chief minister of Chhattisgarh, got charge of Assam instead.
Establishing a semblance of unity within the publicly fractured Punjab Congress will be the primary task for Pilot, a former deputy CM of Rajasthan. The crucial responsibility also happens to underscore Pilot’s stature within the party, but with a caveat for him in his home state, about six years after his failed rebellion aimed at Rajasthan’s CMship. The Punjab task is cut out. A group of senior state leaders, led by former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, has been seeking the removal of Amarinder Singh Raja Warring from the post of state unit president. This failed to satisfy Channi, nor did it appease the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Punjab, Partap Singh Bajwa. MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and former MP Vijay Inder Singla, who was appointed head of the election management committee, were not on board with Warring either. Pilot’s biggest challenge will be to end the internal differences and factionalism within the state unit as he replaces former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel in that position. Baghel gets charge of Assam now.
He was appointed a national general secretary of the party and given charge of Chhattisgarh in December 2023. After extensive deliberations, the Congress high command announced on July 1 that Raja would continue, while Channi was entrusted with leading the campaign committee.
Son of the late Congress stalwart Rajesh Pilot, Sachin has previously served as a minister in Manmohan Singh’s central government, been Rajasthan Congress president, and deputy CM. Earlier reporting noted: Two Rajasthan Leaders To Face Off In Punjab As Sachin Pilot Gets Congress Charge Two Rajasthan Leaders To Face Off In Punjab As Sachin Pilot Gets Congress Charge Two Rajasthan Leaders To Face Off In Punjab As Sachin Pilot Gets Congress Charge Earlier reporting noted: The Congress has carried out a major organisational reshuffle, appointing former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot as the new in-charge of Punjab Congress. Earlier reporting noted: Pilot Faces Challenge of Uniting Punjab Congress Pilot Faces Challenge of Uniting Punjab Congress
