Ashu & 2 others resign as Congress loses Ludhiana West bypoll
The Indian National Congress, which has been facing a series of electoral defeats in recent times, has suffered another blow with the loss of the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll. The bypoll was held on November 3, and the results were declared on November 6. The Congress had fielded Bharat Bhushan Ashu, a former municipal corporation mayor, as its candidate for the bypoll.
In a shocking turn of events, Ashu, who was also the Working President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), took responsibility for the party’s loss and resigned from his post. Two other senior Congress leaders, MLA Pargat Singh and former MLA Kushaldeep Singh (Kikki Dhillon), who are also PPCC’s vice presidents, also resigned in solidarity with Ashu.
Ashu, who was instrumental in the Congress campaign for the bypoll, said that he was willing to take responsibility for the party’s loss. In a statement, he said, “I take full responsibility for the loss. I had promised the people that I would win, but unfortunately, we could not succeed. I resign as Working President of PPCC.”
Pargat Singh and Kikki Dhillon, who were also key campaign managers for the Congress, also resigned from their posts as PPCC’s vice presidents. The trio’s resignation is seen as a huge blow to the Congress, which is already struggling to regain its lost ground in the state.
The Congress had been hoping to win the Ludhiana West bypoll, which was seen as a prestige battle for the party. However, the party’s candidate Ashu lost to the Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) Surinder Dawar by a margin of over 15,000 votes.
The defeat has raised questions about the Congress’s strategy and leadership in the state. The party has been losing ground in Punjab since the 2017 assembly elections, when it won just 77 seats out of 117. The Congress has since been struggling to regain its lost ground, and the loss of the Ludhiana West bypoll is seen as a major setback.
The Congress’s defeat in the bypoll has also been attributed to the party’s inability to connect with the voters and its lack of a strong campaign strategy. The party’s campaign was marred by internal bickering and factionalism, which is said to have hurt the party’s image.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had jointly contested the bypoll, had fielded Surinder Dawar, a former Congress leader, as their joint candidate. The SAD-BJP alliance had campaigned vigorously for Dawar, who won the bypoll with a significant margin.
The defeat is seen as a major blow to the Congress’s chances in the forthcoming assembly elections, which are due in 2022. The party is already facing stiff opposition from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been gaining ground in the state.
The resignation of Ashu, Pargat Singh, and Kikki Dhillon is seen as a wake-up call for the Congress leadership to introspect and re-strategize its approach to the forthcoming elections. The party needs to strengthen its organizational structure, connect with the voters, and develop a strong campaign strategy to regain its lost ground in the state.
In conclusion, the loss of the Ludhiana West bypoll is a major setback for the Congress, which has been struggling to regain its lost ground in Punjab. The resignation of Ashu, Pargat Singh, and Kikki Dhillon is a significant development, and the party needs to take a hard look at its strategy and leadership if it wants to regain its lost momentum.
