LUDHIANA, 23 June — Hours after his defeat in the Ludhiana West bypoll to Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjeev Arora, Congress candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Monday stepped down as the Working President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), citing moral responsibility.
“I had requested the high command to let me handle the campaign with my own team, and we fought to the best of our ability,” Ashu told reporters. “The outcome was not in our favour, and I take full responsibility.”
Ashu’s resignation, however, has stirred speculation within party circles. Senior Congress leaders say the move was not solely about the loss, but also a reflection of deeper internal discord. Sources within the PPCC pointed to Ashu’s strained relationship with state Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa. The former minister had reportedly insisted that neither Warring nor Bajwa campaign for him.
“There’s more behind this resignation than meets the eye,” said a senior party functionary familiar with the developments. “Ashu has long been at odds with the current state leadership.”
Despite the rift, Congress leadership is yet to comment officially on Ashu’s resignation. The bypoll loss is being seen as another blow to the party’s efforts to regain its footing in Punjab, where AAP continues to assert dominance.
