Congress remains a divided house ahead of Ludhiana (West) Assembly bypoll

The Congress remains a divided house ahead of the crucial Ludhiana (West) Assembly bypoll on June 19.

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The issue is expected to be taken up on May 29 during the visit of AICC general secretary incharge for Punjab Bhupesh Baghel, according to sources.

While refusing to comment over it, state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring exuded confidence of winning the bypoll. Earlier, Baghel had repeatedly told party leaders to put up a united face.

He had also ruled out speculations of a leadership change, making it clear that Warring would stay as the Punjab Congress chief.

However, Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu appeared to had his way, if the constitution of a two-member committee to oversee the election was any indication.

The panel, comprising Kapurthala legislator Rana Gurjeet and former MLA Sham Sunder Arora, was formed by Baghel after the party’s political affairs committee meeting in April.

Top leaders ‘kept out’ of poll process despite instructions

Despite instructions from Baghel to keep in the loop the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, including Warring and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, the top leadership has been kept out of the election process.

A senior party leader admitted that the Ashu backers had serious difference with Warring and Bajwa.

It is learnt that none of the former MLAs from the eight Assembly segments in the Ludhiana parliamentary constituency have been taken on board so far. “Efforts are on to put up a united face on the day of the filing of the nomination papers,” a source said.

Rana Gurjeet Singh, who heads the two member-committee for the bypoll, too said all party leaders would be seen on one platform on the day of the filing of the nominations.

Earlier, Earlier Ashu had accused Warring and Bajwa of not supporting him when he was facing corruption cases lodged by the state Vigilance Bureau.

Rana Gurjeet too in the past had described Warring as a “selfish leader” and expressed his desire to lead the party, prompting the state Congress chief to say that action would be taken against party leaders who resorted to “indiscipline”.