Xpress News24
New Delhi: Congress has changed the leadership of its Punjab unit barely five months before the state Assembly elections, removing Amarinder Singh Raja Warring from the post of Pradesh Congress Committee president. Warring had been leading the Punjab Congress for more than four years.
The timing of the change has once again brought attention to the Congress leadership’s strategy of making organisational changes shortly before elections. The party has adopted a similar approach in several states since 2019, but the electoral outcomes have varied considerably.
According to the data cited in the political assessment, Congress changed its state president in 12 major states ahead of elections between 2019 and 2026. In most of these states, the organisational change did not translate into a major electoral breakthrough for the party. However, the circumstances and political alliances were different in each state, making a direct comparison difficult.
In Maharashtra in 2019, Ashok Chavan was replaced by Balasaheb Thorat around three months before the Assembly election. Congress finished behind the BJP and Shiv Sena in terms of seats, though the post-poll political developments eventually resulted in a change of government.
Haryana followed a similar pattern. Ashok Tanwar was replaced by Kumari Selja about 47 days before polling. Congress improved its tally compared with the previous Assembly election but remained out of power, with the BJP forming the government.
In Jharkhand in 2019, Ajay Kumar was replaced by Rameshwar Oraon before the election. Congress contested the polls in alliance with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and emerged as part of the coalition that formed the government.
West Bengal presented a different picture in 2021. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was given charge of the state unit months before the election, but Congress failed to win a single Assembly seat as the Trinamool Congress returned to power.
Similar organisational changes were made in Tripura and Chhattisgarh. In Chhattisgarh, Deepak Baij replaced Mohan Markam months before the 2023 election. Congress, despite being the incumbent party, lost the state to the BJP.
The party also changed leadership in Jammu and Kashmir before the 2024 Assembly election, when Tariq Hameed Karra replaced Vikar Rasool Wani. Congress contested the election in alliance with the National Conference, which subsequently formed the government.
The recent examples from Bihar and Assam have added another layer to the debate. In Bihar, Rajesh Kumar was appointed state Congress president ahead of the 2025 election after Akhilesh Prasad Singh was removed. Congress performed poorly in the election, while in Assam, Gaurav Gogoi was brought in as state chief before the polls. The party remained a relatively small force in the Assembly.
Delhi also saw a leadership change before the 2025 election, but Congress failed to win a seat. Kerala, on the other hand, provides a contrasting example in 2026, with the Congress-led alliance returning to power after the party changed its state leadership ahead of the election.
Punjab itself has a recent precedent. Before the 2022 Assembly election, Congress replaced Sunil Jakhar with Navjot Singh Sidhu as state president. The party also changed its chief minister, replacing Amarinder Singh with Charanjit Singh Channi. Congress subsequently lost power, while Channi lost both seats he contested.
The latest change comes at a politically sensitive time for Punjab Congress. The party has been dealing with internal differences while the Aam Aadmi Party remains a major political force in the state. The BJP is also preparing for the election with an aggressive organisational strategy, while the political influence of groups associated with ‘Waris Punjab De’ has become part of the wider electoral conversation.
For Congress, the immediate challenge will be to use the remaining five months to establish organisational coordination, settle internal differences and prepare its election campaign under the new leadership. The impact of the latest change will ultimately be visible in the Assembly election results.
