Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : The Punjab unit of the Congress party is in turmoil after a crushing defeat in the Ludhiana Lok Sabha by-election, leading to a wave of high-profile resignations and exposing a deep-seated power struggle within its ranks. The loss was particularly stinging as the seat was won by a former Congress MP who had recently defected to the rival BJP.
In the immediate aftermath of the defeat, a major political shake-up occurred in the party's Ludhiana leadership. Former state minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, along with two other senior district presidents, Sanjay Talwar and another office-bearer, tendered their resignations. The move was widely seen as an attempt to place blame and pressure on the state party president, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.
However, in a clear and decisive counter-move, Warring immediately accepted all three resignations. This swift action signaled that the state leadership would not bow to pressure from internal factions.
The internal conflict escalated further when Warring issued a stern warning against indiscipline. "The resignations have been accepted," he stated, adding, "No one is above the party... The Congress party will not tolerate any kind of indiscipline."
This public fallout is the latest chapter in the long-running infighting that has plagued the Punjab Congress. The party has been grappling with intense factionalism, with frequent clashes between the camps led by state president Warring and the Leader of the Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa. The by-election loss has now brought this simmering blame game to a boiling point.
The defeat to Ravneet Singh Bittu, who left Congress for the BJP just before the elections, served as the catalyst for this open rebellion. By accepting the resignations so quickly, Warring has drawn a line in the sand, attempting to assert his authority over a deeply fractured party. The episode leaves the Punjab Congress facing a severe internal crisis as it struggles to present a united front.
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