Congress faces resignations after setbacks in Gujarat and Punjab bypolls

After Congress lost the bypolls in Gujarat and Punjab, Gujarat Congress president Shaktisinh Gohil and Punjab Congress working president Bharat Bhushan Ashu have submitted their resignations to the party's high command. The resignations, according to leaders, are a reflection of the party’s struggles to regain ground in the two key states.

Interestingly, the bypoll results reflect Congress’ losing grip in both urban (Ludhiana West) and rural (Visavadar, Kadi) constituencies. In Punjab, the party failed to resonate with city voters. While in Gujarat, its third-place finish in Visavadar reflected a total disconnect with rural voters.

However, the Gujarat loss seems to be an outcome of a multitude of factors. According to party insiders, the recent efforts of the Congress to revamp its state unit and appoint district presidents ruffled some feathers as it is learnt that Gohil's loyalists were unhappy. 

A senior Congress leader said, "It wasn't because the Congress party lost(in the bypolls ), it was primarily because people close to him were not adjusted in the reshuffle".

Gohil’s resignation as Gujarat Congress president also followed criticism over the management of the party cadre. "Better coordination and a cohesive approach was needed before the elections," a Gujarat MLA said.

On the northern side, in Punjab, Bharat Bhushan Ashu’s defeat in Ludhiana West brought the spotlight on the party’s struggle to maintain a cohesive urban base. "The party must prioritise bringing together its state units, ensuring motivated grassroots workers. And also align leaders with a clear chain of command,” said an expert. 

The reason for the loss, according to political observers, is the lack of targeted campaigns, addressing urban concerns like jobs and infrastructure, and rural issues like water management and agriculture, to regain voter trust.

In Gujarat, the bypolls for the Visavadar and Kadi assembly constituencies saw the Congress party face crushing defeats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured the Kadi seat, with Rajendra Chavda winning by a substantial margin of 39,452 votes over Congress’ Ramesh Chavda (who polled 60,290 votes) against Chavda’s 99,742. 

In Visavadar, the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Gopal Italia emerged victorious while the Congress candidate, Nitin Ranpariya, finished a distant third with a mere 5,501 votes. 

The Ludhiana West bypoll, in Punjab, necessitated by the death of AAP legislator Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, saw AAP’s Sanjeev Arora win comfortably with 35,179 votes, defeating Congress’ Bharat Bhushan Ashu.

India