Congress strong in Punjab but needs work on micro-management, says Bhupesh Baghel

Top Punjab Congress leaders met in New Delhi on Thursday and stressed the need to come up with a micro-management plan and strengthen the party organisation at the grassroots level to expose the incumbent AAP government in the state.

Bhupesh Baghel, the Congress general secretary in-charge of party affairs in Punjab, said the AAP boat was about to sink.

“There is an exodus in AAP, and the boat is about to sink. When it will sink, I don’t know,” Baghel told reporters after the meeting.

A meeting of the party’s Punjab political affairs committee was held at the new AICC headquarters, where several leaders, including Congress legislature party leader Partap Singh Bajwa and Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, spoke freely.

“We discussed ways to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level, according to the AICC’s directions. The Congress is very strong in Punjab, but there is a need for micro-management. We gave a message of making the party strong and everyone spoke freely,” Baghel said, asking the senior leaders, “not to speak in public as indiscipline will not be tolerated.”

Giving feedback, Punjab Congress leaders said there is a growing discontent against the ruling AAP and with turmoil in Shiromani Akali Dal. Baghel asked the Congress leaders to focus on the issues concerning the public, but before that, they should put up a united show with a focus on grassroots management.

Baghel stressed that the Congress’ focus should not just be on capitalising on AAP government failures but also on reorganising the party head of the 2027 assembly polls in the state.

In the next meeting, the state unit will prepare its agenda against the Punjab government that will be taken to the booth level, he added.

He further said there would be a training programme for party leaders and booth committees would be formed.

“We will be fighting for issues related to farmers, youngsters, women, Dalits, and drugs-related matters,” he said.

“We will prepare an agenda on Punjab’s issues, including farmers’ rights, unemployment, women’s welfare, Dalit empowerment, and the drug menace. These issues will form a narrative of Congress’ outreach, and the micro-management approach. We will go up to the booth level and prepare a proper agenda… Booth-level committees will also be formed and hold a training programme for our workers,” he added.

Former Pradesh Congress Committee chief Navjot Singh Sidhu did not attend the meeting despite being invited.

Baghel also dismissed rumours of an internal report submitted to the Congress president on the party’s Punjab affairs.

“This is a total rumour and has no truth in such things,” he asserted.

On Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids against him in Chhattisgarh, Baghel said, “The BJP always uses central agencies as tools against the opposition.”

“First, it conducted raids in Jharkhand and then in Chhattisgarh. Whenever I went to Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Jharkhand, the Centre used the ED, DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) and they conducted raids. Now, when I have taken over Punjab’s affairs, they again conducted raids. We do not fear these raids. The maximum raids were conducted in a small state like Chhattisgarh,” the former Chhattisgarh chief minister said.

Noting that the Congress was like a family and everyone worked unitedly, he said the leaders from Punjab would meet on March 18 and again later this month. Another meeting will be held in April to help strengthen the organisation and sharpen the attack on the AAP government.

Baghel also hit out at the AAP government for holding a short budget session from March 21 to 28. “This shows that AAP does not believe in democracy. The budget session is never held for seven to eight days”, he said, adding, “It (AAP govt) is not giving an opportunity for any discussion in the assembly. “