Sachin Pilot gets Punjab charge: Status rises, stature lags – why was Bhupesh Baghel axed?

Sachin Pilot faces the task of bringing Punjab Congress leaders together before the election. His performance could influence his political prospects in Rajasthan ahead of the 2028 polls.

New Delhi: The Congress has replaced Bhupesh Baghel with Sachin Pilot as its in-charge for Punjab. The leader from Rajasthan will now oversee the party's affairs in a state where factional disputes have become a major challenge ahead of the Assembly elections.

Pilot's appointment adds to the responsibilities he has taken on within the party and comes as Congress prepares for a contest against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Bhagwant Mann. A possible BJP-Akali Dal alliance could make the Punjab contest a three-way fight.

The Congress leader’s immediate task will be to bring the party's senior leaders together and settle the dispute over the state leadership.

Pilot's rising stature in Congress

He has held several important positions during his political career. He served as a Union minister of state with independent charge in the Manmohan Singh government, became president of the Rajasthan Congress and later served as Rajasthan's deputy chief minister.

In December 2023, the Congress appointed him as a national general secretary and gave him responsibility for Chhattisgarh. His new Punjab assignment gives him another important organisational role at a time when the party is preparing for elections.

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There had been expectations that Pilot could be given a larger role in Rajasthan ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled for the end of 2028. His new responsibility in Punjab means the wait for his return to state politics could now continue.

Punjab presents Pilot with a complicated internal situation. Several senior leaders under former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi have been seeking the removal of state Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring.

After several rounds of talks, the Congress high command announced on July 1 that Warring would continue as Punjab Congress president.

Channi was given charge of the campaign committee. The move did not satisfy him or other senior leaders, including Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Vijay Inder Singla, who was appointed head of the election management committee.

Why Bhupesh Baghel was replaced

The former Chhattisgarh chief minister was appointed Punjab Congress in-charge in February 2025. He supported keeping Warring as state president and opposed any leadership change before the election.

This position put him at odds with leaders who wanted Warring removed. Despite efforts to settle the dispute, the differences within the state unit continued.

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Baghel could not bring the rival groups together, while the faction opposed to Warring continued to demand a change in the state leadership.

Congress's decision to replace Baghel with Pilot is being seen as an effort to reach out to Channi, Randhawa, Singla and other leaders who have been seeking a change at the top of the state unit.

Pilot's appointment has been welcomed by Warring, Channi, Randhawa and several other Punjab Congress leaders. His first challenge will be to find out whether the change in the party's central leadership can help settle the dispute over the state president's post.

First test begins

Pilot will soon face his first major test. Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is expected to travel through the state with party leaders on a bus journey, giving Pilot an early opportunity to work with the different groups within the state unit.

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The Congress will have to prepare for an election against Mann's AAP government. The BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal could also join hands, adding another major political combination to the contest.

Pilot has support among Congress workers as well as young voters. His ability to bring the Punjab unit together and build momentum for the party will be closely watched as Congress moves towards the elections.

His performance in Punjab could also have a bearing on the long-running question of what role he will get in Rajasthan ahead of the 2028 Assembly election.

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