PPCC chief objects to two leaders rejoining party ahead of byelection

The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee has taken a strong exception to two former leaders rejoining the party in the run-up to the June 19 Ludhiana (West) Assembly bypoll.

Kamaljit Singh Karwal from Atam Nagar and Karan Warring from Dakha had left the Congress in 2023 and 2024, respectively, before the Parliamentary elections last year. Karwal rejoined the Congress today and Karan Warring on May 29 in the presence of former CM Charanjit Singh Channi. The timing of their rejoining when Bharat Bhushan Ashu is contesting the bypoll is being questioned.

PPCC chief Amarinder Raja Warring is learnt to have taken a strong exception to their rejoining, as these leaders had campaigned against him in the 2024 parliamentary elections. Warring had then won from the Ludhiana seat.

Raja Warring is learnt to have pointed out to Baghel that besides him, the party's Ludhiana district president, Sanjay Talwar, was not kept in the loop ahead of the rejoining of the two leaders even as it was decided in the past that the PPCC would take call on the leaders wishing to return to the Congress.

When contacted, the PPCC chief said the issue had been brought into the notice of the party’s general secretary incharge, Bhupesh Baghel.

On the day Ashu had filed his nomination papers on May 29 in the presence of Baghel and Raja Warring, the PPCC chief had objected to the rejoining of Karan Warring. However, when Raja Warring and Baghel left for Pathankot after Ashu had filed his papers, Karan Warring rejoined the party in the presence of ex-CM Channi.

Ashu, the Congress candidate for the bypoll, said he was also the working president of the PPCC and he had taken permission from Baghel regarding the rejoining of the two leaders. "These leaders will strengthen the party," he added.

Differences between the top PPCC leadership — the PPCC chief and CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa — and the other group comprising Ashu, Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh and others are no secret. During party meetings, Ashu had been expressing his displeasure with Raja Warring and Bajwa for not supporting him when he was facing state vigilance cases and put behind bars. He had his way when a two-member committee for the Ludhiana (West) bypoll comprising the Kapurthala MLA was announced by Baghel.