Sachin Pilot Reveals Rahul Gandhi Will Lead Campaign

Five-six states are going to polls. And Punjab is a very important state, not just for my party, but also for the country. Punjab has contributed historically, culturally, socially. It’s not hidden from anyone. I have been entrusted with the charge of the state. In the last four and a half years, what the Punjab government has done is that it has basically protected, patronised and promoted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leadership in Delhi and Punjab, as opposed to working to serve the people of Punjab. That’s a very known fact in Punjab and in the country. So, I believe that we are the best alternative to serve the people. I met Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Tuesday. We are now working towards building up a very positive narrative for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi being felicitated by party General Secretary and in-charge of Punjab Sachin Pilot during a meeting, at 10 Janpath, in New Delhi. (@INCIndia/X via PTI Photo)

Why do you think the Congress leadership made this change just ahead of the elections?

I think changes in the organisation happen continuously. Mr Baghel was in charge for a year and a half. And he did a splendid job. I think he worked really hard, travelling the length and breadth of Punjab and holding meetings at all levels. All the committees have been formed. It is a routine change. There is a new in-charge in Maharashtra. I was looking after Chhattisgarh. Now, he (Baghel) is looking after Assam. So, I think it is a routine change of portfolios for different state in-charges. But I think the continuity in the party’s agenda, policies, and agitations, remains and continues unabated.

The discourse in the Punjab Congress in the last few months — after the party high command appointed the Ajay Maken committee, which met leaders from across the state — has been all about whether there should be a change in its leadership. There is a factional feud brewing there. There were posters against Baghel that he was favouring a leader. How will you deal with such a divided Congress house?

I was given this job just a couple of days ago. And I have been in touch with almost all the leaders in Punjab. I have, in fact, met quite a few of them in Delhi. And I have been assured by everyone I met that they will work unitedly, collectively and with the single focus of bringing the Congress back to power. There may be a difference in how to approach certain situations. That is quite common in a very large party. After the feedback that I have got from almost all the state leaders, I am confident that everyone is very positively disposed towards working together to bring the campaign to fruition. And to let people install a Congress government in Punjab as soon as possible. In terms of leaders, state, district, I think everyone has got a singular focus.

Rahul Gandhi ji is planning to come to Punjab quite soon. I am working out the details with the leadership in Punjab as to how to format that programme. Rahul ji, Priyanka ji, Kharge ji will be leading the campaign. And all of us will be supporting their efforts to reach out to the voters.

Rahul was planning a yatra in Punjab. Have its dates been finalised?

We are working out the details. He (Rahul) will obviously be the face of the campaign. He will launch the campaign. He’ll start and be there from now until election day. The exact details of how to make a programme, we are still chalking that out. I have also requested Kharge sir and Priyanka ji to contribute to the campaign. But we shall work out the details. And as early as possible, we like to have the people of Punjab want to see what the Congress has to offer to the state.

It’s not about just one political campaign or rally. It’s about what alternative governance models we can offer to the people of Punjab.

When the last time the Congress came to power in Punjab, in 2017, the party had projected a CM face (Capt Amarinder Singh). The Congress generally does not project a CM face before elections, but Punjab was an exception. Will you do it this time as well?

The normal practice for the Congress has been very, very rarely, if at all, has there been ever a (CM face) projection. And I think that is something that is in the past. But the normal practice has been that the party fights unitedly. And today, with how Mr Gandhi has now actually become the voice of the young people, youngsters, students and people, all those who feel dissatisfied with the BJP government. He is leading the campaign in all the states that we go to polls. It will be a joint campaign. I don’t think we are doing this (projecting a CM face) in any state. The entire team will fight the election. Once you get the majority, then we will take all who gets what role and responsibility. But as of now, we fight unitedly. The traditional practice has been to work and to go to the election as a team. And that’s what we’ll do this time (in Punjab).

You just had a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. So what is the sense on the Punjab leadership issue? Will Amrinder Singh Raja Warring continue as the state Congress president till elections despite facing challenge from Charanjit Singh Channi? Is that settled now?

I don’t think all these things are discussed. I just wanted to thank Mr Gandhi for giving me this assignment in Punjab. As of now, we have all the committees formed, the manifesto committee, the campaign committee. We have working presidents and the team is working in full force. I was given a charge just two days ago. And from what I can understand right now, there’s been no discussion with me about any such change that you just asked me about.

What are the issues that the Congress would identify in Punjab to take on the AAP government?

The AAP government came with such a massive majority. People’s expectations are very high. In the last four and a half years, all the news that came out of Punjab was about some corruption, some allegations, some arrests, some ministers’ misbehaviour. And even just today, there was a dying declaration against the finance minister. A person died by suicide. So I think what they have done basically is further mismanagement. There’s been fiscal bankruptcy.

The Punjab government is spending resources in image building rather than governance and delivery on the ground. And so we will go up with a very positive agenda, despite highlighting the shortcomings of the government. We want to focus on the agrarian crisis, how to reindustrialise Punjab and bring back that glory. Punjabis are so entrepreneurial all over the world. But why should Punjab not get the best in terms of investments and job creation? I think Punjabis and people of Punjab deserve that.

I want you to elaborate on the challenges. Recently, the AAP virtually swept the local body elections. Your party is a divided house. And, the Congress has struggled historically to win back a state which it lost to a regional party. There are many examples — Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, UP, Bengal — with only a few exceptions.

Just to give you a counter example. We defeated a regional party in Telangana and came to power…in Assam… But I want to expand the horizon and look at the Lok Sabha elections. In civic elections, the local administration always has a role. Despite having so many options — Akali Dal, BJP, AAP — in the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, the majority of the people voted for the Congress. We won 7 of the 13 seats in Punjab. So the farmers, young people, SC/ST, entire segments of people believe the Congress is best suited. They have sent Congress MPs to Parliament. That sentiment needs to be further carried.

You are talking about differences in our party, few comments, media reports. What about the AAP? Its MPs have abandoned the party and gone to the BJP. The entire party was split. It is funny how people are asking about some Congress leader who has said something which may not be fully in concurrence with the other leader. That is fine. But what about the split in the AAP. People will ask questions about that too. Its MPs are leaving and joining the BJP. That means you are in cahoots with the BJP. The fight in Delhi that the AAP does with the BJP is only for Delhi elections. In the rest of the country, they do things that suit the BJP. Because outside Delhi, every action of the AAP is directly helping the BJP. People are seeing all this, Punjab is not a non-political state. They understand all this and how these things work. I am positive about what we believe in, we have a lot of depth in our leadership…We have young, senior, urban, rural leaders from all communities. All the leaders who I have spoken with and met have assured me that they will work unitedly under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi to bring the Congress back to power.

If the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal join hands again, will that be an additional challenge for the Congress?

The Akali Dal is a very depleted force now. The BJP had an alliance with the Akali Dal when Badal sahab (Parkash Badal) was alive. And they were voted out of power. So it is immaterial whether they join hands with the BJP or fight independently. Our fight will be with the AAP. It does not matter how much anyone tries to make it a multi-cornered contest, it is going to be a Congress versus AAP fight. The BJP is trying desperately to gain a foothold, the Akali Dal is looking for a way out after getting routed in the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. Their desperation may drive them to talk and engage with each other, but people will not accept them as an alternative.

After the Congress’s defeat in the 2022 Assembly polls, many Congress leaders had left the party. Will you try to reach out to any of them to bring them back into the party?

It is too early for me to comment on that. Let me assess the situation on the ground and talk to the leadership. I will be able to comment only after I do that.