Ludhiana West bypoll: Baghel makes late entry as Congress reels

The Ludhiana West bypoll campaign of the faction-ridden Congress seems to be losing its sheen in the slog overs, even as the BJP has been fielding its big guns like Haryana and Delhi CMs, and the AAP making it a prestige issue to win the seat.

Much to the surprise of Punjab Congress leaders, AICC Punjab Affairs in charge Bhupesh Baghel showed up in Ludhiana on Monday evening, with just a day left for the canvassing to end. Earlier, he was seen on the day the party candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu filed his nomination papers.

The strife in the party was apparent today when a number of senior leaders during a closed-door meeting with AICC-appointed Punjab Affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel at the PPCC office here expressed concern about the state unit’s top leadership not being involved in the campaign. Baghel told the leaders to wait till the elections, before the matter was taken up with the party high command.

Baghel has been cautioned that the faction-fighting could be a “self-goal”, saying the upcoming bypoll could either prove to be a “take-off point” for the BJP in the run-up to the 2027 Assembly poll or an opportunity for the Congress to reestablish itself among urban Hindu voters. A win for AAP would stamp its works on the ground.

A senior leader, present at the meeting, said despite being aware about factionalism, no concrete action had been taken up by the party high command to sort out the differences between the group led by Warring and Bajwa and the other side, the group comprising Ashu, Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh, former CM Chranjit Channi, Jalandhar Cantt MLA Pargat Singh and others.

Much to the advantage of the AAP that has pulled out all stops with party Chief Arvind Kejriwal and party’s top leaders camping in Ludhiana, the dissent in the Congress was once again played out in the open today when Baghel, along with Warring and Bajwa, reached Ludhiana to address a press conference. Ashu and other leaders did not join to put a united face. Efforts are on to put up a united face at a roadshow tomorrow. Leaders in the Ashu group said the main contest is between the AAP and Congress.

Party sources said there was clear split between the group comprising Warring and Bajwa and on the other side, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Channi and Pargat. The rival group has been demanding that after becoming Ludhiana MP, Warring should be replaced as PPCC chief.

“Whatever the outcome of the Ludhiana bypoll, the factionalism in the party is further going to widen,” said a senior leader.

Punjab