Congress general secretary Sachin Pilot has said that senior party leaders in Punjab have assured him of their full support as the party prepares for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Pilot, who was recently appointed Congress in-charge for Punjab, said the party would fight the election as a united team under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. He acknowledged that there were differences of opinion among leaders but said these would not come in the way of the party's campaign.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Pilot said he had met most of the senior leaders in the state and that they had agreed to work collectively. He also said that Charanjit Singh Channi had assured him of his full support for the Congress campaign.
Pilot recalled that Channi had served as Punjab's first Dalit chief minister and said the former chief minister remembered the support he had received from Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress leader said the upcoming election was likely to be multi-cornered, with the Aam Aadmi Party, BJP, Bahujan Samaj Party and different Akali Dal factions expected to compete. However, he maintained that the main contest would be between the Congress and AAP.
According to Pilot, Punjab voters are looking for a stable political alternative. He also highlighted the importance of Punjab as a border state and said religious and regional differences should not prevent the people from giving a clear mandate.
Pilot criticised the AAP government in Punjab, alleging that it had been surrounded by controversies, arrests and corruption-related issues during its tenure. He claimed that the Congress's performance in the Lok Sabha elections indicated growing support for the party.
He also dismissed the previous Assembly election results as an unreliable benchmark, describing the 2022 election as a wave election in which several candidates benefited from the political mood at the time.
On Rahul Gandhi's plans for Punjab, Pilot said the Congress leader wants to spend more time in the state and is keen to begin a yatra. Party teams are currently working on the details.
Pilot said Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra want the Punjab Congress to work tirelessly and collectively ahead of the polls.
With internal differences remaining a challenge, the Congress is now focusing on building unity among its state leaders and presenting a stronger alternative to the ruling AAP in Punjab.
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