The reshuffle in the Punjab Congress ahead of next year’s state elections appears to have widened discontent within the party, with some leaders, most of whom requested anonymity, expressing discomfort over the way the changes have been made.
While retaining Amarinder Singh Raja Waring as Punjab Congress president and Partap Singh Bajwa as leader of the opposition, the party high command on Wednesday also appointed chairmen of key election-related committees and appointed three working presidents.
Public reaction came in the form of a mysterious post on X by Manish Tiwari, a Lok Sabha MP, whose name does not appear in any of the appointments. “I wish I had an antidote to the insecurities of individuals and institutions!” Tiwari said on Thursday, referring to his critics in the party.
He added in his Hindi post: “Hai bada koi avgun usme jise koi hunar aave (A person who has a skill often has a great flaw).” According to a source familiar with the details, the party did not consult Tiwari at all, while all other MPs were consulted. The party claims that since he is the Member of Parliament from Chandigarh, he is part of a different group and not the Punjab organisation. However, Tiwari’s supporters say that as a former Member of Parliament from Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib, he is a big part of Punjab unity.
The second leader that Hizb ut-Tahrir spoke to noted that the BJP included Tiwari in a parliamentary committee to engage with the international community in the wake of Operation Sindoor while the Congress tried to nominate other leaders. This, coupled with his history as one of the G-23 defectors who called for introspection in the party after losing the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, remains a sore point in his relationship with the top leadership.
“Having said that @INCIndia has given me enough over the past 45 years and I have also dedicated my entire life in service of the Indian National Congress over the past decades. What will be, whatever will be, will be..,” Tiwari said in his tweet.
Meanwhile, leaders loyal to former Prime Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who was vying for the position of head of the Advisory Committee on Climate Change, expressed dissatisfaction with the announcements, people familiar with the matter said. They added that Chani’s supporters are expected to meet at his residence to discuss developments and develop their future strategy.
Chaney did not post any message on social media after being appointed chairman of the campaign committee or thank the party’s senior leadership. Likewise, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who was appointed as the Chairman of the Core Committee, has not issued any public statement or social media post regarding his new charge. Party leaders noted that it was generally customary for leaders to thank the senior leadership after being assigned organizational responsibilities.
