Congress appoints Sachin Pilot as Punjab in-charge; Baghel shifted to Assam

The Congress party on Saturday (September 5, 2026) effected a reshuffle of its state in-charges, appointing Sachin Pilot as the AICC general secretary in-charge of poll-bound Punjab. He replaces Bhupesh Baghel, who has been moved to the same position for Assam.

In a statement issued by AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, the party said Congress president has reassigned and appointed party functionaries as AICC general secretary/in-charge for different states with immediate effect.

Randeep Singh Surjewala has been given the additional responsibility of Gujarat, while he will continue as in-charge of Karnataka, which recently witnessed a smooth transition of power. Sukhdeo Bhagat has been appointed in-charge of Chhattisgarh, Dr. Sirivella Prasad for Maharashtra, and P.V. Mohan for Andhra Pradesh.

The statement also acknowledged the work of outgoing general secretary/in-charges Jitendra Singh, Ramesh Chennithala, and Manickam Tagore, noting that the party appreciates their contributions. Mukul Wasnik will continue as AICC general secretary, according to the statement.

These organisational changes come at a crucial time for the Congress, as Punjab is scheduled to go to polls early next year. The state is politically significant for the party, which is currently in power there. Gujarat, for which Surjewala has been made in-charge, will see Assembly elections later next year.

The appointments are part of the party's routine organisational restructuring ahead of electoral battles. While the immediate focus is on Punjab, the other assignments indicate a broader strategy to strengthen the party's presence across states. The Congress has not yet commented on the reasons for the specific changes, and no further details about the new responsibilities of the outgoing in-charges have been announced.