Punjab Congress faces internal turmoil as three senior leaders resign after Ludhiana West bypoll defeat.
CHANDIGARH:
The Punjab unit of the Indian National Congress is undergoing a significant leadership shake-up following its defeat in the Ludhiana West Assembly byelection. The loss has exposed internal divisions within the party and resulted in the resignation of three senior functionaries — Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Pargat Singh, and Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon — from their organisational posts in the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).
The resignations were formally confirmed by Congress leader and Punjab in charge Bhupesh Baghel, who posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Shri Bharat Bhushan Ashu Ji has resigned from the post of Working President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Similarly, Shri Pargat Singh Ji and Shri Kushaldeep Dhillon Ji have decided to step down from the post of Vice President of the Pradesh Congress. All three resignations have been accepted. The party expresses its gratitude for the services of all three leaders in their respective roles and wishes them a bright future.”
Bypoll results:
= Sanjeev Arora (AAP): 35,179 votes
= Bharat Bhushan Ashu (Congress): 24,542 votes
= Jiwan Gupta (BJP): 20,323 votes
= Parupkar Singh Ghumman (SAD): 8,203 votes
= Margin of victory: 10,637 votes
The Ludhiana West seat, once considered a Congress stronghold, slipped from the party’s grasp as AAP secured a decisive win. The result dealt a major blow to the Congress, particularly given the constituency’s urban profile and historical allegiance to the party.
Visible strains within leadership
According to party functionaries and local observers, the bypoll campaign exposed visible differences between Bharat Bhushan Ashu and PPCC President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. While no official statements have been made regarding the reasons for the resignations, the organisational rift is widely believed to have affected the party’s coordination and campaign strategy.
Sources suggest that a lack of unity between top leaders in Ludhiana weakened Congress’s position and allowed AAP to strengthen its messaging and ground-level outreach.
Ashu, a senior leader and former cabinet minister, was expected to perform strongly in his home turf. His defeat and subsequent resignation have triggered introspection within the party. He had served as Working President of the PPCC and held significant influence in Ludhiana politics.
Resignations of Pargat Singh and Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon
Alongside Ashu, Pargat Singh, former minister and Vice President of the PPCC, and Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon, also a Vice President, have stepped down. Both are known figures in Punjab politics. Pargat Singh, a former India hockey captain, has been associated with education and sports initiatives in the state, while Kushaldeep Dhillon is seen as a leader with strong organisational command in southern Punjab.
Their resignations, submitted simultaneously, indicate a coordinated decision, though no joint statement was released.
Party officials acknowledged the contributions of all three leaders and stated their resignations were accepted respectfully.
Congress’s internal response
The Congress’s official communication has so far remained neutral, avoiding direct references to internal conflicts. However, within party ranks, there is growing acknowledgment that coordination gaps and local factionalism contributed to the electoral setback.
The party had previously held the Ludhiana West seat and had hoped to retain it as a symbol of urban voter confidence. The bypoll was seen as a crucial test for all major parties — AAP, BJP, Congress, and SAD — ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
While AAP celebrated the victory as a public endorsement of its governance, Congress now faces renewed questions about its internal stability, campaign strategy, and leadership alignment at the state level.
The bypoll witnessed a four-cornered contest, but Congress’s vote share declined significantly compared to previous elections. The BJP managed to increase its presence in the urban constituency, while the SAD candidate lost his deposit — a reflection of shifting political allegiances in Punjab’s urban landscape.
The Congress defeat comes amid growing national challenges for the party, as it attempts to rebuild its state units and retain relevance in regions where its base was once strong.
The resignation of three key leaders within days of an electoral defeat marks a significant moment for the Punjab Congress. While the resigning leaders have made no public statements of dissent, the timing of their exits — especially that of bypoll candidate Ashu — underscores the internal strain the party is navigating.
With organisational changes likely on the horizon, the Punjab Congress will now have to focus on restoring coordination and confidence among its cadre and leadership, particularly in urban centres like Ludhiana, which once formed the backbone of its electoral strength.
