Congress tussle: Infighting can hit party’s prospects in Punjab

JUST over a year before the Punjab Assembly elections, the leading challenger to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is busy fighting its internal battles. The Congress seems to be frittering away the gains it made during the Lok Sabha polls in 2024, when it bagged seven of the 13 seats in the state (AAP won just three). Former party MLA Navjot Kaur Sidhu stirred up a hornets’ nest last week when she claimed that the chief minister’s chair was available at a price of Rs 500 crore. The party has suspended her from its primary membership, but that has not deterred her from lashing out at the state unit president, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. The wife of former state unit chief and ex-cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has accused Warring of colluding with a rival party to destroy the Congress. She has also taken potshots at party MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, alleging that he has links with smugglers.Warring has accused AAP of involvement in the ‘conspiracies’ aimed at weakening the Congress in Punjab, while Randhawa has served a legal notice on Mrs Sidhu. The unsavoury developments have prompted the party high command to initiate firefighting. The Sidhus, who owe allegiance to the Gandhi family, are trying to assert themselves with an eye on the 2027 polls. Mrs Sidhu has made it clear that her husband would return to active politics if the Congress declares him as the CM face. However, Warring and some other leaders are not keen to cede ground to the Sidhus, whom they regard as seasonal politicians.The Congress needs to present a united front in its bid to regain power. Its rivals include not only AAP but also the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the BJP. The saffron party has already poached several top Congress leaders in the past few years, such as ex-CM Capt Amarinder Singh, Sunil Jakhar and Ravneet Bittu. The prospect of a SAD-BJP reunion and the influence exerted by radicals are set to make the Congress’ task even harder. The party, which has suffered a rout in one state after another, must not let infighting ruin its chances in Punjab.

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