Punjab Congress appointments: High command tries to maintain region, experience and caste balance

Rajmeet Singh Chandigarh, April 9 After facing a serious drubbing in the recently-held Assembly elections, the Congress high command by appointing Raja warring as the PPCC chief and Partap Singh Bajwa as the CLP leader has tried to maintain the...

Tribune News Service

Updated At : 04:38 AM Apr 10, 2022 IST

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, April 9

After facing a serious drubbing in the recently-held Assembly elections, the Congress high command by appointing Raja warring as the PPCC chief and Partap Singh Bajwa as the CLP leader has tried to maintain the region, experience and caste balance.

Congratulations to Raja warring and Bharat Bhushan Ashu … wish them the best always ….
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) April 9, 2022

At same time by appointing Bharat Bhushan Ashu as the working president and Dr Raj Kumar as deputy CLP leader, the party has addressed the Hindu and Dalit factors.

By appointing a former Indian Youth Congress and Gidderbaha MLA Raja Warring as the PPCC chief, the Congress high command seems to have given preference to young face and positioned a seasoned leader and a former MP as CLP leaders to take on the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government.

Sources in the party said MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa and MP Santokh Chaudhary were in contention for the post of the PPCC chief but the party preferred young face who has oratory skills.

Incidentally, the traditional Congressmen have been assigned the roles this time.

Both Partap Bajwa and Raja Warring have risen through ranks in the party and understand the party dynamics and pulse of the rank and file. Bajwa has been PPCC chief and a minister before moving to parliament.

I thank @INCIndia President Sonia Gandhi ji, @RahulGandhi ji, @priyankagandhi ji, @kcvenugopalmp ji, @Barmer_Harish ji, @ajaymaken ji for giving me an opportunity to serve people of Punjab as Leader of Opposition. I will fight tooth & nail for rights of Punjab and it’s public. pic.twitter.com/7iauKpXkIP
— Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) April 9, 2022

Welcoming the decision, Bajwa with rich experience as a parliamentarian, said he would be able to do justice being a CLP leader to hit out at CM Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government.

Raja Warring has the potential to take along the young blood in the party ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections.

Welcoming the appointment, Raja warring said he would accomplish the challange to rejuvenate the party rank and file in the hour of crisis. “I will own each and every party worker. I have successfully challenged the Badals by repeatedly winning from Gidderbaha and now the challange is from AAP,” he said.

The appointment put to end speculation about Navjot Singh Sidhu returning as PPCC chief for the second term. Sidhu remained president for less than 9 months; his tenure punctuated with controversies.