Senior Congress leader and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has been omitted from every major organisational and election-related responsibility in the party’s revamped Punjab unit, a development that is being viewed as a strong signal of the Congress leadership’s emerging power dynamics ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
The organisational overhaul, announced on Wednesday, retained Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) and Partap Singh Bajwa as the Leader of the Opposition, reflecting the party’s decision to maintain its existing leadership. Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi has been appointed chairman of the campaign committee, while several election-related panels have been reconstituted alongside the appointment of new working presidents.
Noticeably missing from the revamped organisational structure was Tewari, one of the Congress’ most recognisable national leaders from Punjab and a three-time Lok Sabha MP.
Shortly after the reshuffle was made public, Tewari shared a cryptic message on social media.
“Whatever will be, will be," he wrote, before adding another post lamenting that he wished there were “an antidote for insecurities—of individuals and institutions alike," remarks widely interpreted as a reaction to his exclusion from the new organisational set-up.
Although Tewari did not refer to the Congress leadership or the organisational changes directly, the timing of his posts prompted speculation about his unhappiness over being left out.
The revamp comes as the Congress seeks to move beyond internal factionalism and project a united front in preparation for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
By keeping Raja Warring and Bajwa in their current roles while assigning Channi the responsibility of leading the campaign committee, the party has attempted to strike a balance between regional and caste considerations without altering the existing leadership structure.
Political observers believe Tewari’s absence from the new set-up carries considerable significance.
A former Union Information and Broadcasting Minister and once among the Congress’ leading national spokespersons, Tewari has long been seen as an independent voice within the party. His exclusion from all major committees suggests the party high command has chosen to place greater emphasis on leaders with stronger organisational influence in Punjab as it prepares for the next electoral contest.
The restructuring follows weeks of deliberations within the party over the composition of its Punjab leadership. Speculation had grown over possible changes at the top after consultations stretched on, but the Congress ultimately opted to retain its existing leadership while expanding and reorganising its campaign machinery.
While Tewari continues to serve as the Lok Sabha MP from Chandigarh and remains a senior national leader in the Congress, his absence from Punjab’s electoral framework is expected to reignite debate over his future role within the organisation.
As the Congress prepares to challenge the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab in the 2027 Assembly elections, the latest organisational changes appear designed to present a united leadership team, even if that has meant sidelining one of the party’s most prominent leaders from the state.
