Congress Unites for Punjab Battle, AICC Team Targets AAP’s “PR Politics”

Congress Unites for Punjab Battle, AICC Team Targets AAP’s “PR Politics”

Chandigarh 2 September ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : To establish direct operational coordination between the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the state cadre, a high-level central media delegation of the Congress party appointed by AICC Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera arrived in Chandigarh on Wednesday and addressed an extensive press conference at Punjab Congress Bhawan. Earlier in the day, the central delegation held a key strategy meeting with Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring to streamline ground planning. Warring extended a warm welcome to the central team on their arrival in Chandigarh and assured complete logistical, organizational, and grassroots backing across every assembly constituency in the state.

Addressing the media, the central coordinators announced that all 29 political district committees across Punjab’s 23 administrative districts have been divided strategically among the team members across three key zones. Under this allocation, Wing Commander Anuma Aacharya has been assigned the responsibility of the Majha region. Ishan Tyagi will oversee the Doaba zone. Recognizing the extensive geographical stretch of Malwa comprising 19 districts, the area has been bifurcated into Malwa-1 under Harnam Singh and Malwa-2 under Vikram Lohia. The team, along with local office-bearers, will undertake extensive tours across the state to synchronize messaging down to the booth level. Sharing her association with the state, Wing Commander Anuma Aacharya recalled her two-and-a-half-month stay in Punjab during the Lok Sabha elections. Lauding the discerning, aware, and upright nature of Punjab’s media fraternity, she sought their constructive cooperation in taking authentic issues and genuine facts directly to the people.

The leadership highlighted that the communication infrastructure is being heavily augmented by dynamic recruits emerging from the AICC’s nationwide ‘National Talent Hunt’. A well-trained contingent of articulate young men and women evaluated on public speaking, writing, and ideological clarity has been formed. A significant force of these fresh spokespersons has arrived in Punjab to work hand-in-hand with district committees, block units, sitting and former MLAs, and local media representatives. Reiterating the direct directives of Rahul Gandhi, the coordinators underlined that the party’s media strategy will actively move beyond conventional mainstream channels to prioritize district-level cable networks, regional digital correspondents, and independent YouTube influencers to raise public issues with maximum impact. Dispelling speculation regarding factionalism, the delegation asserted that the Congress party is completely united and that differing perspectives during election time are a natural sign of an active, healthy democracy.

“There is zero factionalism in our party. In any genuine political movement, differing viewpoints and multiple aspirants during ticket distribution are completely natural and inevitable. Ticket allocation is never the unilateral decision of any single individual be it Raja Warring, Charanjit Singh Channi, or Partap Singh Bajwa. Tickets are finalized through a structured, transparent, and merit-based institutional procedure governed by the AICC High Command. If differences arise, our party has full capability and democratic strength to resolve them internally, and all our leaders are working together with complete mutual respect,” the leaders stated, adding that policies regarding ticket allotments remain the prerogative of the party high command.

Clearing the air regarding Rahul Gandhi’s campaign in Punjab, the delegation explained that minor scheduling changes occurred due to his direct presence in the student protests in New Delhi and his subsequent sit-in outside the Parliament Street Police Station to demand legal accountability. They confirmed that the campaign blueprint is ready and Rahul Gandhi will tour Punjab within the next week to 10 days, after which senior stalwarts including Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Charanjit Singh Channi, Partap Singh Bajwa, and AICC In-Charge Bhupesh Baghel will campaign together from a single platform with full strength.

Sharpening their attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime, the leaders pointed out that Punjab continues to look back proudly on decades of development, social harmony, and governance under Congress rule. They accused the AAP governments in Punjab and Delhi of squandering hard-earned public tax money on relentless 24x7 television advertisements and hollow public relations exercises, while schools, hospitals, basic infrastructure, employment, and the law-and-order machinery in the state have been left to crumble.

Turning the focus onto state realities, the leaders directly questioned the media whether anyone in Punjab was truly content with the current state of affairs under the present government. Reminding journalists of their role as the frontline soldiers and guardians of democracy, the delegation urged the press fraternity to shift scrutiny away from manufactured political gossip and hold the government accountable on Punjab's pressing issues including runaway drug trafficking, agrarian distress, and severe unemployment. The delegation, appointed by Pawan Khera, included AICC National Media Coordinator Hari Shankar Gupta, Coordinators Wing Commander Anuma Aacharya, Ishan Tyagi, Harnam Singh, Vikram Lohia, along with Punjab Congress Chief Spokesperson Arshpreet Khadial.