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As the Punjab Assembly elections draw closer, the Indian National Congress, the principal Opposition party in the State, is formulating its electoral strategy in a bid to position itself as the primary challenger to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The party has been grappling with internal discord, and efforts to address it have gathered pace through a series of meetings. In February this year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, during his visit to Punjab, gave a stern message to the State unit, asking leaders to work as a “team”, days after Congress leader and former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi called for “greater Dalit representation” in the party, saying Dalits were not getting due representation. The remarks brought internal differences within the party into public view.
The three-member panel comprising Ajay Maken, Meenakshi Natarajan, and Bhajan Lal Jatav, set up by the Congress on June 11 to assess and submit a report on the current political situation in Punjab, has held several rounds of meetings in New Delhi over the past two days. The panel has met several senior Congress leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Congress Working Committee member Vijay Inder Singla, former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, former State Congress chief Shamsher Singh Dullo and Mr. Channi, among others.
Party sources indicated that a change in the top leadership of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) is also under discussion, keeping in mind the complexities of caste, community, religion and regional considerations in Punjab politics.
As the party high command continues to weigh continuity under incumbent PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring against possible alternatives such as Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Partap Singh Bajwa or even former Union Minister and current Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari, who is seen by some leaders as an experienced leader with a clean image, the underlying message from the rank and file remains that the choice of leadership must inspire confidence among party workers as the Congress prepares for the electoral contest ahead.
“Formulating an early electoral strategy and setting up key organisational committees to address burning public issues are vital for the Congress party ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab,” former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal told The Hindu on Wednesday (June 17, 2026).
Speaking about the high command’s recent organisational review meetings in New Delhi, Ms. Bhattal said, “While minor internal differences of opinion exist in every political organisation, the Congress party remains a strong force on the ground and a primary ray of hope for the people of Punjab. The party high command is engaged in a democratic process to understand everyone’s intentions, evaluate public sentiment and identify the core issues.”
The senior leader emphasised that she had strongly urged the party leadership to immediately constitute functional bodies, specifically a manifesto committee, a coordination committee, a campaign committee and a dedicated internal think tank, to actively take up burning public issues that other political players are currently ignoring.
Addressing persistent speculation regarding potential structural overhauls and leadership changes within the PPCC, Ms. Bhattal noted that structural adjustments involve much more than merely changing the State president or the Congress legislative party leader.
“Deciding where to utilise which leader is the sole prerogative of the high command, which has access to multiple independent feedback agencies. My advice to them is to focus entirely on public perception and identify genuine vote-catchers. It is not about a numbers game of who can bring ten people to a meeting, but about evaluating which front a leader can perform best on to effectively capture votes,” she said, advocating a strategic blend of youthful energy and seasoned experience in the run-up to the polls, which are due in early 2027.
Published – June 17, 2026 05:56 pm IST
