Neither ran a parallel campaign nor indulged in factionalism: Ashu after AICC accepts his resignation

Indian Express

9 hours ago

A day after the Congress leadership accepted his resignation as the working president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Bharat Bhushan Ashu said he neither ran a parallel campaign nor indulged in factionalism.
He, however, admitted 'a breakdown in coordination'. 'I take my share of responsibility for failing to bridge the divide.'
In a statement, Ashu said, 'My resignation was an act of taking moral responsibility for the defeat, and not any admission of guilt. I will continue to serve the Congress, but my fight for truth will continue.'
The recent rumblings in the Punjab Congress have occurred after its candidate, Ashu, lost the Ludhiana West Assembly bypoll to the ruling AAP by over 10,000 votes. Throughout the campaign, the rift between Ashu and Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was visible to all.
Ashu-led faction, including former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, MLAs Pargat Singh and Raja Gurjeet Singh, extensively campaigned for him but 'excluded' Warring, leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and other supporters.
While Warring maintained that Ashu never 'invited' or asked him to campaign, Ashu said, 'I never stopped anyone from campaigning.'
Ashu also inducted two local leaders from other parties — Karan Warring and Kamaljit Karwal — into the Congress allegedly against Warring's wishes. He also did not attend the joint press conference addressed by AICC Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, Warring and Bajwa on June 16 to make a vote appeal for him, a day before campaigning ended on June 16. On the last day of campaigning, Warring and Bajwa also did not attend Ashu's roadshow.
In a major blow to Ashu's camp, the AICC on Thursday accepted three resignations — Ashu's as PPCC working president, and Pargat Singh and Kushaldeep Singh Kikki Dhillon (both as PPCC vice-presidents), who had resigned taking 'moral responsibility' for the defeat. Pargat and Dhillon had resigned in solidarity with Ashu.
Ashu posted on his Facebook page: 'Politics Demands Accountability — But Also Honesty. In public life, we are taught to own both success and failure with equal grace. I have always believed that if a resignation can help the Congress reflect, reset and reorganise, it should never be withheld. My resignation — now accepted by the high command — is an act of responsibility, not an admission of guilt. The Ludhiana West by-election result was disappointing. But reducing it to the actions of a few individuals is not only politically inaccurate, it is also internally damaging.'
Claiming that he never indulged in any indiscipline, Ashu wrote, 'I neither ran a parallel campaign nor indulged in factionalism. Those who worked closely with me know the sincerity of my effort. Yes, there was a breakdown in coordination — and I accept my share of the responsibility for not being able to bridge that divide, despite trying.'
Raising several questions on some of his party colleagues, he wrote further, 'This moment must not become one of blame, it must become one of course correction. We must ask: Why did the voter disengage? Why were proxies used to unsettle the campaign? Why did some treat this election as a platform to settle personal scores rather than serve the party?'
Ashu, who spent over a year in jail after being arrested in an alleged corruption case after AAP came to power, wrote that even during his toughest legal battles, he 'stood alone but never against the party'.
'I have served the Congress with loyalty and conviction for over two decades — never seeking comfort, only duty. Even during the most difficult times, when I faced personal and legal battles, I stood firm, alone if needed, but never against the party. I paid the price for standing by the Congress when others benefited, and I did it with my head held high. And even now, I remain where I've always been: on the ground, with the people,' he wrote.
The rift between Ashu and Warring deepened during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when the party chose Warring to contest the Ludhiana seat, sidelining Ashu, who had recently been released on bail from an alleged corruption case, which was later quashed by the High Court. Warring went on to win the election.
'Punjab needs a Congress that is united in spirit, clear in direction, and strong in purpose. I sincerely hope the coming days bring reflection, not retribution, and that justice within the party is guided by values, not convenience. The fight for truth, for workers, and Punjab continues — and I will remain part of it,' Ashu added.