Sachin Pilot Gets Punjab Charge as Congress Tries to Ease Factional Strife

The Congress high command has appointed Sachin Pilot as the party's Punjab in-charge, replacing Bhupesh Baghel, in a late-night reshuffle aimed at addressing internal discord in the state unit. Baghel, a former Chhattisgarh chief minister, has been given responsibility for Assam.

Pilot's immediate task is to foster unity within a Punjab Congress that has been publicly divided over leadership. The move also signals his continued prominence in the party's national structure, even as it delays any potential return to active politics in his home state of Rajasthan, where assembly elections are due in 2028.

The friction in Punjab centres on state unit president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. A group of senior leaders, including former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, has been demanding his removal. In July, the party retained Warring while giving Channi the leadership of the campaign committee, a compromise that failed to satisfy the dissenting faction. Other leaders, including CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa, MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, and former MP Vijay Inder Singla, have also been opposed to Warring's leadership.

Baghel, who took charge in February 2025, was seen as favouring Warring and opposing a change before elections, which made him a target for the rival camp. Posters against him had appeared in parts of Punjab.

Following the announcement, leaders from both factions, including Channi and Warring, publicly welcomed Pilot's appointment. The first major test of his ability to bridge the divide will come during a bus tour of Punjab planned by Rahul Gandhi, which is expected to include all senior state leaders.

The Congress faces a challenging electoral landscape in Punjab, with the AAP government in power and a potential BJP-Shiromani Akali Dal alliance shaping up. The presence of other regional players, including the Akali Dal faction led by jailed MP Amritpal Singh, could further complicate the contest.