The Congress party in Punjab kickstarted a focused campaign to consolidate its organizational structure right up to the booth level — a move that is being seen as a crucial part of its broader national revival strategy. On a two-day visit to Punjab, Congress general secretary in-charge for state affairs Bhupesh Baghel on Friday spearheaded a high-level series of meetings at Chandigarh, aimed at energizing the party’s rank and file and laying out a roadmap to reclaim lost political ground, especially with the Ludhiana West Assembly by-election fast approaching.
“This year has been declared as the year of organizational strengthening by the Congress high command,” said Baghel while addressing the media after meeting the state’s senior leaders, including the state Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa, and several District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents, among others. “We are empowering our grassroots units. The entire focus is on building the party from the booth upwards,” said Baghel, underlining that a similar direction has been given in the recently-concluded session of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in Ahmedabad.
The emphasis on micro-level organizational revival reflected the Congress party’s intent to fortify its base in Punjab, particularly in urban constituencies like Ludhiana West, which it narrowly lost to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the 2022 Assembly elections. With the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, the by-election was necessitated. Even as the Election Commission of India is yet to formally announce the polling date, the Congress has fielded former Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu in a bid to wrest the seat back. He will be facing entrepreneur-cum-Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora who is contesting his first election as AAP candidate.
Even as Congress prepares for a high-stakes contest in Ludhiana West bypoll, internal dynamics within the party continue to raise eyebrows. Notably, Ashu and Punjab Congress chief and Ludhiana MP Warring have not shared the public stage yet in the campaign, fueling speculation of lingering friction between the two.
Recently, an attempt by Warring to mend fences with Ashu appeared to backfire, further fueling speculation about internal discord. Warring visited Ashu’s residence in what was seen as a peace gesture, but found neither Ashu nor his wife at home. The absence sparked rumours of simmering tensions. In response, Ashu took to social media to clarify that he had no prior information about Warring’s visit — a public clarification that inadvertently underscored the communication gap between the two senior leaders.
Notably, during the Lok Sabha elections, Ashu was perceived as not actively supporting Warring, which some allege affected the Congress’ urban vote share. Now, the roles appear to have reversed, with Warring and his close aide Sanjay Talwar — the district party president — keeping a noticeable distance from Ashu’s campaign in Ludhiana West. This visible lack of coordination has triggered concerns within the party that factionalism could undermine electoral prospects.
In response, Baghel emphasized unity. “In any family, disagreements are normal. But all leaders are working together now,” he said, indicating that reconciliation efforts are underway. Party insiders confirm that the leadership is actively working to ensure that all factions present a united front in the bypoll.
The Congress’ plan involved not only top-down interventions but also a reinvigoration of its grassroots machinery. “We’re rebuilding our strength at the booth level — reconnecting with the voters directly,” said Capt Sandeep Sandhu, Punjab Congress’ general secretary in-charge of organization. Veteran leaders have been tasked with mobilizing workers, reconnecting with old cadres, and reaching out to disenchanted supporters, many of whom drifted away during the AAP surge in 2022.
“Old Congressmen are being assured that the party stands with them. The organizational fabric is being rewoven with trust and participation,” added Capt Sandhu.
As a part of the campaign, the Congress is also confronting the broader political narrative. The state Congress chief Warring said that the bypoll will serve as a litmus test for the AAP Government’s popularity. “People are disillusioned. There is an atmosphere of fear and instability. Recent grenade attacks and attempts to desecrate icons of national importance point to a deeper strategy to polarize Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections,” Warring warned.
Though the Ludhiana West bypoll is a local contest, Congress is framing it as a battleground with wider significance. Baghel took the opportunity to contrast the Congress’ democratic ethos with what he termed the authoritarian tendencies of AAP and BJP. “Whether it’s the BJP at the Centre or AAP in Punjab, both are misusing state mechanisms — one through central agencies, the other through state intelligence,” he alleged.
In the 2022 Assembly polls, AAP’s Gurpreet Gogi had secured 34.46 percent of the total votes polled, that is 40,443 votes, while Congress’ Ashu followed closely with 32,931 votes. BJP’s candidate, advocate Bikram Singh Sidhu, stood third with 28,107 votes. This tight margin indicated that the Ludhiana West seat remained highly competitive, and the Congress sensed a real opportunity if it can mobilize its vote bank effectively and present a united face.
