1 hr ago
Congress Names Sachin Pilot Punjab In-Charge in State Reshuffle
The Congress party changed some of the leaders who manage its state organizations.
Sachin Pilot will now manage the party’s work in Punjab.
He replaces Bhupesh Baghel, who has moved to Assam.
Randeep Singh Surjewala will manage Gujarat and continue managing Karnataka.
Other leaders were assigned to Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
The changes began immediately after the announcement.
Punjab is expected to vote early next year, and Gujarat is expected to vote later next year.
Reports said the Punjab unit has disagreements that Pilot will need to address.
Sachin Pilot replaced Bhupesh Baghel as Congress general secretary in-charge of poll-bound Punjab.
Bhupesh Baghel was reassigned as general secretary in-charge of Assam with immediate effect.
Randeep Singh Surjewala was appointed Gujarat in-charge while retaining responsibility for Karnataka.
Sukhdeo Bhagat, Dr Sirivella Prasad and P.V. Mohan were appointed in-charge of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, respectively.
The reshuffle comes before Punjab and Gujarat elections amid reported factionalism in the Punjab Congress unit.
- Who
- The Indian National Congress, including Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel, Randeep Singh Surjewala and other appointed party functionaries.
- What
- The Congress reassigned several AICC general secretaries and state in-charges.
- Where
- The changes affected Punjab, Assam, Gujarat, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
- When
- Saturday, September 5; the appointments took effect immediately.
- Why
- The reshuffle occurred ahead of elections in Punjab and Gujarat; reports also linked the Punjab change to factionalism within the state unit.
Reported Political Interpretation
Official Party Position
Reason for the Punjab change
Reported Political Interpretation
Reports attributed Baghel’s replacement to factionalism and disagreements in the Punjab Congress unit, saying Pilot would need to help resolve the dispute before the election.
Official Party Position
The official statement announced the reassignment of party functionaries but did not give a specific reason for replacing Baghel.
Scope of the reshuffle
Reported Political Interpretation
Party sources and reports suggested that further changes in the AICC organisation and Punjab unit could follow.
Official Party Position
The formal announcement listed the appointments and said they took effect immediately, without confirming additional changes.
Key facts
- New Punjab in-charge
- Sachin Pilot
- Former Punjab in-charge
- Bhupesh Baghel, reassigned to Assam
- Gujarat in-charge
- Randeep Singh Surjewala
- Additional responsibility
- Surjewala will continue as Karnataka in-charge
- Other appointments
- Sukhdeo Bhagat for Chhattisgarh, Dr Sirivella Prasad for Maharashtra and P.V. Mohan for Andhra Pradesh
- Election timing
- Punjab polls are expected early next year; Gujarat assembly elections are expected later next year
- Outgoing functionaries
- Jitendra Singh, Ramesh Chennithala and Manickam Tagore were relieved of the reported organisational responsibilities
Quotes
K.C. Venugopal
AICC general secretary (organisation) of the Congress
“The party appreciates the contributions of the following outgoing General Secretary/In-charges — Jitendra Singh, Ramesh Chennithala and Manickam Tagore.”
theprint.in
deccanchronicle.com
telegraphindia.com
Sources
Bhupesh Baghel removed as AICC Punjab in-charge, Sachin Pilot brought in
Sachin Pilot is new Cong Punjab in-charge, Bhupesh Baghel moved to Assam in reshuffle
Congress Reshuffle: Sachin Pilot Named Punjab In-Charge to Stem Feud Ahead of Polls
Congress reshuffle: Sachin Pilot gets Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel moves to Assam - Telegraph India
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