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. 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.
What makes the development more interesting is that two prominent leaders from Rajasthan will now find themselves on opposite sides of the political contest in Punjab. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), trying to become a major player in Punjab, has already appointed Rajya Sabha MP and party general secretary Satish Poonia as its Punjab in-charge. Punjab Congress has been dealing with internal differences for some time now. There is an additional connection between Sachin Pilot and the current setup of Punjab Congress. In Rajasthan, Punjab Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had the role of party in-charge with Pilot in the state unit. That equation have now flipped as Randhawa is one of the main faces in Punjab Congress. The Congress has made changes not only in Punjab but also in the organisational responsibilities of several states.
Pilot’s biggest challenge will, therefore, be to bring leaders and workers from different camps onto a common platform, such as those loyal to the state unit chief, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, and the camp of former CM Charanjit Singh Channi.
