Congress reshuffles Punjab ahead of polls, brings Sachin Pilot in, moves Bhupesh Baghel out

New Delhi: The Congress high command on Saturday night signalled its eagerness to clean up the mess created by infighting in poll-bound Punjab Congress. In a select shuffle of party pointsmen for states, the leadership shunted out Bhupesh Baghel, who as AICC general secretary in-charge of the state had failed to contain infighting and had sided with PCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, to Assam and brought in Sachin Pilot, who was looking after Chhattisgarh, as the new AICC general secretary in-charge of the poll-bound border state. This shuffle strengthens the possibility of more changes in the Punjab Congress organisational structure.

The new shuffle also showed K C Venugopal continuing in the key post of AICC general secretary in-charge of organisation, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remains AICC general secretary without specific charge. However, Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is in charge of party-ruled Karnataka, gets additional charge of Gujarat, which will have elections next year.

While Jitendra Singh, who was AICC in-charge of Assam when the party lost elections, is relieved of the AICC post, outgoing in-charge of Gujarat Mukul Wasnik is retained as AICC general secretary without charge. Ramesh Chennithala, who is now the Home Minister of Kerala, is relieved of his AICC in-charge of Maharashtra, where debutant Sirivella Prasad is given charge.