While difference of opinion within a political party is understandable and acceptable as democratic dissent, most of the times it leads to fatal factionalism. Punjab Congress is precisely threatened with the same “fatal factionalism” at a crucial time when the Ludhiana West by-election can be announced any time. This factionalism may lead to a state of “civil war” with the two groups of leaders “regimented” against each other, daggers drawn.
The banner of revolt was raised by former minister and high-profile party leader Rana Gurjeet Singh, who also happens to be one of the top industrialists of the region having a net worth of over Rs 20,000 crores sugar mills and distilleries spread in a few states.
Interestingly, the battleground for the “intra-party” feud has been Ludhiana only. It was from here that Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring contested the last parliamentary elections and won by a narrow margin defeating three-time MP and BJP candidate Ravneet Singh Bittu by just about 20,000 votes.
Warring’s close friend for a long time and associate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former minister and two-time MLA from Ludhiana West, was also an aspirant for the Ludhiana parliamentary ticket after Bittu defected to the BJP. Ashu alleges betrayal by Warring in getting the party nomination. Since then, the two have never seen eye to eye with each other. The bitterness still prevails.
Things reached an extreme on Saturday night, when Warring, accompanied by some party leaders, reached Ashu’s house to congratulate him. Ashu was away to his “pre-scheduled” programmes. He later thanked the PCC president, saying he was not aware of his coming over to his house. Two AICC secretaries, Alok Sharma and Ravindra Dalvi, were also with Warring at the time.
At one time, in the immediate aftermath of the 2022 assembly elections, when Warring was appointed the PCC president, Ashu as working president and Bittu was the Congress MP from here, the three leaders were so close to each other that they were described as the proverbial “triumvirate”. While Bittu is now with the BJP serving as minister of state in the Railway Ministry, Warring and Ashu do not see eye to eye with each other.
Rana Gurjeet Singh turned out to be another dramatic character in the plot and once again, over the party’s refusal to field his son and independent legislator from Sultanpur Lodhi, Rana Inder Partap from Anandpur Sahib parliamentary constituency. Rana blames Warring and Partap Singh Bajwa for denial of ticket to his son.
With Rana and Ashu having turned to be bitter enemies of Warring, his other rivals like Charanjit Singh Channi, Pargat Singh, Kushaldeep Singh ‘Kikki’ Dhillon and a few others have also started rallying against him (Warring). There are some fence sitters as well, who will make the final choice only once the dust settles down.
On Saturday, the Punjab Congress held a rally in Sultanpur Lodhi, the constituency represented by Rana Gujreet’s son, Rana Inder Partap. Partap contested independently in 2022 and defeated the official party candidate Navtej Singh Cheema. Rana Gurjeet’s assembly segment, Kapurthala is in the immediate vicinity. As a Congress leader, he was supposed to attend the rally, which is part of the Congress’ national campaign, ‘Jude ga block, jitey gee Congress’, to strengthen the party at the grassroots/ block level. Rana did not attend the rally. His son, Inder Partap, who is an independent MLA, organised a workers’ rally in the same assembly segment the same day.
But Rana Gurjeet was not alone to have skipped the rally. Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and former minister Pargat Singh were among those who gave the rally a miss. Channi was in Ludhiana to address a press conference along with Bharat Bhushan Ashu, whose candidature for the Ludhiana West assembly segment was announced by the party late last night. AICC secretaries and co-incharges for Punjab Alok Sharma and Ravindra Dalvi, along with Pargat Singh, were also present at the press conference.
While the Ludhiana West assembly by-election will test the strength and popularity of the Aam Aadmi Party government, it will also test the unity of the Congress party and the sincerity of its leaders. Warring and Ashu have had a bitter fallout. Warring is not only the PCC president, he also happens to be Ludhiana MP.
He will have to lead from the front against the AAP, even if it means fighting for his bitter and fierce rival within the party. He cannot afford to take any chances. Not only will he need to work hard and sincerely, he will also need to be seen as working with all sincerity. His olive branch to Ashu on Saturday was an effort towards that end, which the latter, evidently declined. Ludhiana West contest is being seen as a preliminary round for the Punjab assembly elections scheduled about one and a half year later.
Since Ludhiana West is going to be the first election for newly appointed general secretary in-charge for Punjab, Bhupesh Bhagel, his presence around will ensure that every leader, irrespective of his personal preferences or prejudices, works for the party candidate. But that is always easier said than done.
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