Punjab: Congress grapples with internal strife in Malwa region

Punjab: Internal strife has emerged within the Congress party in parts of the Malwa region, including Bathinda, Mansa, and Muktsar districts. Recent party meetings and events have been marked by hostility between different groups. In Bathinda, an altercation broke out on Monday between two Congress factions led by former minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar and party leader Jashn Singh Chahal. Members of the two groups allegedly shoved each other during a meeting called by AICC Secretary and Punjab Co-Incharge Ravinder Dalvi. The meeting was to discuss the “Save MNREGA Sangram” rally scheduled for January 11th in Bhucho. Although some party leaders attempted to calm the workers, the meeting descended into chaos. Bathinda District (Rural) President Pritam Singh Kotbhai said, “An altercation broke out between supporters of two leaders, but they were calmed down. After coming out of the meeting hall, they created a ruckus in front of the media, accusing each other of supporting other parties in the recent Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.”
Last week, a similar incident occurred in Mansa district, where two factions of the Youth Congress clashed during a protest against the law and order situation in the state. The groups, led by District Youth Congress President Sanjogpreet Singh Davy and newly appointed Acting President Karan Hodla, clashed over a banner. Balkaur Singh, father of slain singer Shubhdeep Singh alias Sidhu Moosewala, who was present at the protest, intervened, and the situation was later resolved by senior party leaders. Previously, infighting also surfaced in Muktsar, the home district of PCC Chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, where former MLA Karan Kaur Brar abstained from campaigning during the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections. Karan, the daughter-in-law of former Chief Minister Harcharan Singh Brar, limited her presence to releasing a video appeal in support of Congress candidates. Significantly, Congress performed poorly in these districts in the recent Zila Parishad elections, winning just one of Muktsar district’s 13 zones and none in Bathinda and Mansa districts’ 17 and 11 respectively. In the Panchayat Samiti elections, the party won nine of Muktsar district’s 95 zones, 15 of Bathinda district’s 137 zones, and six of Mansa district’s 86 zones.