Although Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has been removed as the Punjab Congress chief, the central leader in charge of the State, Sachin Pilot, has hailed him as a “fighter” who will play a “very important role” in the Assembly elections early next year.
In an interview with PTI, Mr. Pilot described Mr. Warring as a “very energetic, hardworking young man", who helped build the Congress at a “challenging” time.
Asked about the change of guard in the Punjab unit soon after his taking over as in-charge of the State, Mr. Pilot hailed Mr. Warring and said he worked hard to strengthen the organisation.
The Congress general secretary, however, added that sometimes, changes in the organisation are necessary.
“Let me tell you, Raja Warring, I've known for 20 years. He's a very, very energetic, hardworking young man. And he has actually helped build the Congress party at a time when, you know, we had only 15-16 MLAs, a very challenging time. And for four years and more, he worked hard to strengthen the organisation,” Pilot told PTI.
After a decision by the party high command, Mr. Warring stepped down as the State president on October 2, and ex-Olympian Pargat Singh took over the post.
At the time, Mr. Warring indirectly blamed Mr. Pilot, the newly appointed AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab, for his exit.
Earlier this week, at a ceremony where Pargat Singh took charge, Mr. Warring had said that he may have fallen or might even be denied an election ticket by Mr. Pilot, but he would continue to hold the Congress flag high as a soldier of Rahul Gandhi.
Mr. Pilot, however, was all praise for Mr. Warring in the interview.
“He's a fighter. But sometimes, changes in the organisation happen. In Uttar Pradesh, which also goes to polls in February, we have a new president (Aradhna Misra-Mona) there. We've got a new president; Pargat Singh ji is now made president of Punjab. So, these changes happen routinely depending on, you know, how we want to move forward,” the former Rajasthan deputy Chief Minister said.
Mr. Warring has actually contributed a lot to the party, and he will continue to play a “very, very important role” in the elections, Mr. Pilot added.
On whether he thought Mr. Warring was no longer a viable president for the State Congress, Mr. Pilot said it was not about viability at all.
“Like I said, he's done a lot of work for young people, he's actually encouraged them to come forward and, you know, fight the Aam Aadmi Party. But during elections, there are many things that one considers and the leadership decided that in UP and Punjab, we have to appoint new presidents,” he said.
It doesn't mean that the outgoing president has less work to do or will be less committed to the fight, Mr. Pilot said, and at the same time praised the new Punjab Congress president.
“He was the captain of the hockey team, and he's very well-known. And I think, in Punjab, we need somebody who can tell young people that health, sports and fitness are far better than getting involved in drugs and mob violence. Also, he's now a third term MLA,” Mr. Pilot said.
“And I think he's a choice that the party thought is best suited at this time to lead the party as president,” he said.
In his remarks on October 11, Mr. Warring had also acknowledged that many in the party opposed him when he was the Punjab Congress president, and that they may continue to do so.
At the same time, Warring has said he will fully support Pargat Singh, the 61-year-old ex-India hockey captain and three-time Congress MLA from Jalandhar Cantt.
Mr. Warring had also said the Congress is united in its quest to form the next government in Punjab.
Earlier on October 2, he had said that he came to know that Pilot wanted him replaced, but he voluntarily relinquished his charge.
Weeks of internal unrest over the state leadership has threatened to hurt the party's campaign for the Assembly elections due early next year in which its main adversary will be the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.
Mr. Pilot said the BJP is not a serious threat in Punjab, and the saffron party's ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal, will be the Congress Party's smaller adversary after AAP.