Punjab Congress leaders resign after Ludhiana defeat

Punjab Congress faces internal turmoil as three senior leaders resign after Ludhiana West bypoll defeat.

- TARUNI GANDHI

The Punjab unit of the Indian National Congress is undergoing a significant leadership shake-up following its defeat in the Ludhiana West Assembly byelection. The loss has exposed internal divisions within the party and resulted in the resignation of three senior functionaries — Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Pargat Singh, and Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon — from their organisational posts in the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

The resignations were formally confirmed by Congress leader and Punjab in charge Bhupesh Baghel, who posted on X (formerly Twitter), "Shri Bharat Bhushan Ashu Ji has resigned from the post of Working President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Similarly, Shri Pargat Singh Ji and Shri Kushaldeep Dhillon Ji have decided to step down from the post of Vice President of the Pradesh Congress. All three resignations have been accepted. The party expresses its gratitude for the services of all three leaders in their respective roles and wishes them a bright future."

Jiwan Gupta (BJP): 20,323 votes Parupkar Singh Ghumman (SAD): 8,203 votes Margin of victory: 10,637 votes The Ludhiana West seat, once considered a Congress stronghold, slipped from the party's grasp as AAP secured a decisive win. The result dealt a major blow to the Congress, particularly given the constituency's urban profile and historical allegiance to the party.