There are many stones and many birds. The AICC reshuffle is good in the sense Sachin Pailt has been made in charge of Punjab just in the run up to the elections.
The Congress all the prospect of storming back to power because the ruling AAP faces anti incumbency and the BJP with or with Akalis is still far off in the race.
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| Sachin Pilot - Man who delivered Rajasthan; but was sidelined |
Bhupesh Baghel, who was handling Punjab, has now been shifted to Assam as general secretary in-charge. It's like being shunted out as he would not have much to do there.
It is significant Pilot, son of Late Rajesh Pilot, takes charge in the state at a politically sensitive time. He delivered Rajasthan in the past; but was beaten by Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's machinations and was later handed over 'injustice' by the high command.
The AICC - meaning Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is considering changes to Punjab state unit Congress Committee even as a hype is being created over Rahul Gandhi's proposed Yatra in the state in the run up to the 2027 Assembly elections.
In the reshuffle, Randeep Singh Surjewalla has been given Gujarat - a state which goes to the polls in Nov 2027 and the grand old party has been marginalised immensely in 2022. There is one common factor between Punjab and Gujarat -- in both these states - AAP is immediate challenger to the Congress.
This has only muddled Congress games electorally. But Congress maybe still looking to give Narendra Modi a run for money on home ground Gujarat, which is due for polls in Nov 2027.
With regard Sachin Pilot - if any case was pushed to consider his name as next AICC president after aging Mallikarjun Kharge; apparently - that possibility has bee ruled out.
The scenarios emerging suggest -- Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may be made AICC president or Rahul Gandhi is again going to trust a 'non-challenger' oldie-uncle. Kharge has been a 'good rubber stamp' president.
Answering media queries on certain internal matters of the party (that has given several rubber stamp presidents both at the national level and in states) -- Kharge even said : "I do not know; high command will decide that".
Curiosity - if any - doing the round is who could replace Kharge when the time/decision for the transition comes -- Digvijaya Singh is seemingly ruled out. There are other talented Rajya Sabha 'yes man' such as Pramod Tiwari from UP. If that happens; the ecosystem may even scream 'master stroke'.
In Punjab, the Congress has paid a big price of Rahul's master stroke in 2022.
Charanjit Singh Channi was made the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab in 2021. The outcome was disastrous in March 2022. The AAP stole the thunder. Rahul has to his credit many master strokes.
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| Supporters of Charanjit Singh Channi, first Dalit CM of Punjab : Sept 2021 |
Since 2014; the Congress party has done experiments. To traverse time and space involves trials and errors. This is what India’s grand old party keeps doing hoping to reclaim its past glory vis-a-vis BJP's Hindutva politics and development cards.
Politics is an unfinished journey.
Sachin Pilot’s appointment as Punjab in-charge could work to the party’s advantage by helping unite its leaders.
Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa had had opposed present state unit chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. Baghel as in charge allegedly sided with Warring.
The reshuffle order also says that Surjewalla will also hold the additional charge of Karnataka. Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh also get new bosses for the Congress party.
Importantly, Mukul Wasnik has been retained as general secretary. A die-hard loyalist - Wasnik has the talent of "thanking" Rahul Gandhi ji for campaigning for polls in 2016.
Among the five states going to polls - if Congress was BJP --- there were clear prospect of win in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa. That could be far-fetched. Even K C Venugopal and Jai-rahim are not thinking on those lines.
But Punjab is different.
The reality is Congress continues to enjoy a groundswell of grassroots support unlike in most other parts of the country. As we know the northern state of Punjab shares a 600-kilometer border with Pakistan.
The state is better known for its valiant Sikh soldiers and hard-working farmers, who had successfully transformed the state into the food bowl of India.
After the end of its glory in 2014; until 2018, Punjab was the only state where the Congress held absolute power.
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