Following a significant defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, the Congress party has undertaken a major organizational restructuring. Devendra Yadav, the party's in-charge for Punjab, has been removed from his post. He has been replaced by Bhupesh Baghel, the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.
Chandigarh: A major organizational change has been implemented within the Punjab Congress. Devendra Yadav, the party's in-charge for Punjab, has been replaced by Bhupesh Baghel, the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Since the defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, where the party lost the Badli seat, speculation had been rife that the Congress might appoint a new in-charge for Punjab. The party holds high hopes for Punjab, given its relatively b performance in recent Lok Sabha and municipal corporation elections.
Simultaneously, the Congress has accelerated organizational changes nationwide. The party has also replaced its state in-charges in Odisha and Maharashtra. While the Congress failed to form a government in Maharashtra, the situation in Punjab is different. In the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress, under the leadership of state president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, won 7 seats.
Congress Accelerates Nationwide Organizational Restructuring
Raja Warring also became an MP from Ludhiana, and the Congress's performance in the municipal corporation elections was satisfactory. However, the party failed to win the mayoral seat in any municipal corporation. Therefore, the likelihood of replacing the state president is currently low. However, a change in the state in-charge was anticipated. The primary reason for this is that Devendra Yadav's position weakened following the defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections.
Factionalism is not new within the Punjab Congress. Party leaders have historically been embroiled in internal power struggles. The stature of the Leader of the Opposition, Pratap Singh Bajwa, is significant in state politics. He has served as a cabinet minister in Punjab, is currently an MLA, and has been a member of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Similarly, Raja Warring has served three times as an MLA, once as a minister, and is currently a Lok Sabha member. A constant competition for political dominance exists between Pratap Singh Bajwa and Warring. Devendra Yadav's stature was considerably lower than Bajwa and Warring, making it difficult for him to unite senior Congress leaders on a common platform.
Therefore, the Congress has made a significant change in Punjab, appointing Bhupesh Baghel, the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, as the new state in-charge. Bhupesh Baghel possesses administrative and organizational experience, making him potentially capable of providing new direction to the Punjab Congress. It should be noted that Devendra Yadav was also the Delhi Pradesh Congress president, but the party failed to win a single seat in the Assembly elections. This defeat further weakened his position, making his removal as Punjab in-charge almost certain.
