Amid reports of rift, litmus test for Cong

The four-cornered contest in zila parishad and block samiti polls seems to be a litmus test for the Congress, the state’s main Opposition party that is under pressure to put up a united face amid reports of differences among its leaders ahead of the crucial 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.

The party has fielded candidates on 85 per cent of zila parishad and 81 per cent of the panchayat samiti seats, amid allegations against ruling AAP that it “misused” government machinery to prevent Opposition candidates from contesting the polls.

In Punjab’s Doaba region, the party is facing internal bickering as a rift is visible in Phillaur between Jalandhar Lok Sabha MP Charanjit Singh Channi and local MLA Vikramjit Chaudhary.

“The rural elections are crucial for the district party chiefs and the MLA. We are giving our best in the elections. Observers have been deputed to ensure participation at the ground level”, said state Congress chief Amrinder Raja Warring.

Party leaders said though ruling Aam Aadmi Party had an advantage, the Congress faced contest from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which expects resurgence in rural politics ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls to return to power.

In the run to the 2027 Assembly elections, the Congress wants to retain its vote bank that had shifted base in 2022, giving ruling AAP a comprehensive win in the state.