Chandigarh, October 3
Trashing the report submitted to Rahul Gandhi by AICC General Secretary in‑charge of Punjab Congress Affairs Sachin Pilot, several Congress leaders across Punjab have launched a scathing attack on Pilot, accusing him of drafting a “highly biased” document against Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. According to many Congress stalwarts, Sachin has not merely submitted a prejudiced report but has also “gravely diminished” the party’s chances of returning to power in the upcoming Punjab Assembly Elections.
Leaders, speaking strictly on condition of anonymity to avoid disciplinary repercussions, told The News Gateway, “Sachin’s report is nothing short of a ‘bundle of lies’. With the abrupt change of guard at the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), the Congress’s prospects of forming the next government have been pushed to the brink. The party has now slipped into multiple corridors of factionalism.”
What has raised eyebrows is the manner in which Sachin prepared his assessment without undertaking a comprehensive tour of Punjab. In sharp contrast, Bhupesh Baghel initially spearheaded mega rallies on MNREGA, later traversed the entire state as part of the ‘Har Booth, Congress Mazboot’ campaign, and held over two dozen jam‑packed rallies. Baghel independently gathered feedback from grassroots workers up to senior leaders, compiled a detailed dossier, and submitted it to AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C.Venugopal. His report, far more exhaustive than Sachin’s, not only mapped the political scenario but also recommended retaining Warring. Yet, the high command, bowing to dissident pressure, sidelined Baghel’s findings and replaced him with Pilot.
“Can anyone in AICC explain how many districts Sachin actually toured and from whom he sought feedback? The harsh reality is that he barely visited a handful of places and consulted only a select few leaders. On that flimsy basis, a ‘fake’ report was manufactured to justify Warring’s removal,” remarked a senior Congress leader.
The fallout, insiders warn, is already visible. The very purpose of Pilot’s intervention—to oust Warring—was achieved but at the cost of creating multiple corridors of discord within the Punjab Congress. With Pargat Singh now at the helm, the prevailing sentiment among party leaders is grim: infighting will not subside but intensify, eroding the party’s electoral prospects further.
In conclusion, by sidelining Bhupesh Baghel’s exhaustive groundwork and embracing Sachin Pilot’s hastily drafted, narrow‑based report, the AICC has not only undermined its own credibility but also fractured the Punjab Congress into deeper corridors of infighting. The removal of Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, despite Baghel’s clear recommendation to retain him, has emboldened dissident voices while weakening the party’s electoral machinery. What should have been a moment of consolidation has instead become a catalyst for division, leaving the Congress staring at diminished prospects in Punjab and raising serious questions about the high command’s judgment at a critical juncture.