In Congress organisational reshuffle, Sachin Pilot gets poll-bound Punjab, Surjewala for Gujarat, Baghel moved to Assam

In a major reshuffle of organisational responsibilities, the Congress on Saturday (September 5, 2026) appointed Sachin Pilot as the new All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of poll-bound Punjab, while Randeep Singh Surjewala will handle Gujarat in addition to Karnataka.

The changes, made by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and announced by general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, come ahead of crucial State elections. While Assembly elections in Punjab are scheduled for early 2027, Gujarat will go to the polls later next year.

Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has been moved from Punjab to Assam as the new Congress general secretary for the State.

The change in Punjab is most significant as it comes amid intense factionalism between the camps of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

If not a snub to Mr. Baghel, the Punjab move can be seen as an attempt by the high command to press the reset button to contain factionalism.

In a party rejig in July, the high command’s decision to make Mr. Channi the chairman of the campaign committee while continuing with Mr. Warring as the PCC chief triggered triggered open factionalism.

By appointing Mr. Pilot, who served as a senior poll observer in Kerala, where the Congress-led United Democratic Front scored an impressive victory, the Congress high command has tried to convey its intent.

The factionalism has not only created bad optics but has also held up a proposed political yatra of the State by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Mr. Surjewala, too, seems to have been rewarded for ensuring a smooth transition of leadership in Karnataka, from Siddaramaiah to D.K. Shivakumar as the Chief Minister.

Mr. Surjewala has been made general secretary in charge of Gujarat and Karnataka, where the Congress is in power. Mukul Wasnik, who was handling Gujarat, will continue as an All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary.

The party has also appointed Lok Sabha member from Jharkhand, Sukhdeo Bhagat, as AICC in-charge of Chhattisgarh; Sirivella Prasad as in-charge of Maharashtra; and P.V. Mohan as in-charge of Andhra Pradesh.

The Congress leadership thanked the outgoing general secretaries and in-charges.

While Jitendra Singh had resigned following the party’s debacle in the Assembly elections earlier this year, Ramesh Chennithala, who was handling Maharashtra, became Kerala’s Home Minister. Similarly, AICC in-charge for Maharashtra Manickam Tagore was made the new PCC president of Tamil Nadu.