Congress takes calculated risks in UP and Punjab

Aradhana Mishra Mona and Pargat Singh appointed to lead state organisations

Ending days of speculation, the Congress on Friday announced a major reshuffling in two electionbound states, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, with Aradhana Mishra Mona and Pargat Singh getting the roles to lead their respective states. The Congress replaced senior party leaders Ajay Rai as Uttar Pradesh Congress chief with Sitapur MLA Aradhana Mishra Mona and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring with Pargat Singh as Punjab Congress chief. In both states, the Congress carried out a major reshuffling ahead of the crucial Assembly elections, where infighting has been coming to the fore.

In the case of Punjab, Raja Warring, who was appointed as Punjab Congress chief in 2022 and led the party for over four and a half years, had faced major rebellion from another faction led by former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and several others. The Congress in June decided to continue with Warring as Punjab Congress chief, following which the internal rift came to the fore. The campaign led by Channi even gave a week to the party leadership to reconsider its decision, and they also boycotted the meeting called by then-in-charge Bhupesh Baghel. Posters also came up in Punjab with “Baghel go back” written on them. Looking at the tense situation in Punjab, the party first replaced former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Baghel with Sachin Pilot in the first week of September.