AAP’s win in rural polls due to abuse of power against Opposition, Cong will be back in 2027: Amrinder Singh Raja Warring

Congress is the runners-up in these polls but there are several areas, including Malwa and in Majha where it has not done well. How concerned are you over the performance?

This is sort of a mixed bag thing. If you discount the factor of the power abuse by the ruling AAP, they stand nowhere. The writing is on the wall. Congress is coming back. Take the example of Lok Sabha elections when we won seven of the 13 seats and two more we lost by close margins.

Did the accusations made by Navjot Kaur Sidhu have an effect on the Congress prospects of these polls? How does the party plan to resolve these internal rivalries to present a united front in 2027?

Not really. I doubt whether anyone would take her or her accusations seriously. As I said, it was a brutal abuse of power that made AAP look like winners, which they actually are not. As regards your question on internal rivalries, the Congress is a democratic party. Each and every leader has ambitions. There is nothing wrong about it. This has been happening in the past as well. There was never a lone chief ministerial aspirant in the Congress. After all, it is not a family-driven or a one-man show. Everyone is entitled to his/her ambition. In fact, it is a positive thing as it strengthens the party.

The party has discussed introducing 60-70 new faces for the 2027 elections to rejuvenate its image. How will Congress balance bringing in fresh candidates while managing ambitions of sitting MLAs and senior leaders?

This is too early to presume. Nothing has been finalised as yet. Winnability, loyalty and integrity are the main factors. There is nothing like dropping 60-70 sitting or ex-legislators. Party will examine all factors before allotting the tickets. While youth are the future, seniority is an asset as well which nobody can ignore. I don’t think there will be any blanket policy.

Congress performed well in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections (winning seven seats) but has faced setbacks in subsequent bypolls and local elections. Why has the party struggled to convert parliamentary success into Assembly-level gains?

This is obvious. In the parliamentary and regular Assembly elections, there is more or less a “level playing field”. In the by-elections and local body polls, it is the state government, which has absolute control over the machinery and management of the elections. In Punjab, the ruling parties use their power in more brutal ways to win by-elections and local body polls.

How do you see the resurgence of SAD in the state after having touched the nadir in Assembly polls? Does it mount a credible challenge to Congress in 2027?

Frankly speaking, I don’t see it as a “resurgence”. They, as you rightly said, have touched their nadir. It will take them a long time to recover. I don’t see that happening by 2027. They have to set their own house in order first. Akalis have to go a long way to challenge Congress. They never were, and they could never do it even during the peak of their glory. They were always dependent on the BJP.

Will a leadership overhaul help or further exacerbate divisions in the party before 2027?

Although this is a hypothetical question. Since you have asked, let me tell you, the Congress is a disciplined party where the party high command’s decision is accepted by one and all without any exceptions. Till the decision is taken, everyone has a right to put his/her stake. Once the decision is taken, everyone accepts it and respects it. So no question of any divisions at any stage.

Youth migration, drug issues, unemployment, and farm distress remain key voter concerns in Punjab. How will Congress differentiate its agenda from AAP’s promises, especially after accusations of unfulfilled guarantees by the ruling party?

Issues naturally will remain the same for all the parties to resolve. Now the people of Punjab have experienced everyone. They are better judges to make out the difference. We don’t promise what we can’t deliver. We only promise what is doable and deliverable. Our governments have a brilliant track record of fulfilling all the promises we made in Himachal, Telangana and Karnataka. In HP I must say, despite the Centre’s hostile attitude, our government is delivering on all the promises with whatever resources are available there. You can crosscheck. We will do the same thing in Punjab too.

Looking ahead, what are Congress’s biggest strategic priorities to overcome anti-incumbency against AAP while rebuilding its own organisational strength in Punjab by 2027?

Our biggest strategic priority, of course, is to get rid of a non-performing government that survives merely on the oxygen of publicity. We have already put the organisation in place at the district level. For the first time, the district presidents were appointed after thorough deliberations and deep study. Central teams visited the districts and shortlisted the candidates under ‘Sangathan Sirjan Abhiyan’. Now the district presidents will be more empowered and they will have a say in choosing the Assembly candidates too.

We will certainly capitalise on the anti-incumbency against the ruling AAP. People of Punjab are feeling betrayed and let down. They are desperately looking forward to 2027 to see the Congress return.