Sachin Pilot Says Congress Is All‑In on Punjab While BJP Struggles for a Foothold

Speaking to CNN‑News18, Congress stalwart Sachin Pilot made it clear that his party’s whole attention is on Punjab’s looming Assembly elections. “Right now we are all focused on saving Punjab,” he said, adding that the situation on the ground is far from happy for ordinary citizens.

Pilot didn’t mince words about the BJP. “It doesn’t matter who allies with whom – we all know the BJP is struggling to find a foothold in Punjab,” he asserted, hinting that the party’s national woes are echoing in the state.

The Congress leader also pointed to the work his party has been doing on the ground, claiming that it has kept the Punjab government accountable while simultaneously holding the Centre to account. “Punjab government is on the back foot, the BJP is on the back foot nationally because of recent protests, and we are well placed to take on the leadership challenge,” Pilot explained.

Beyond party politics, Pilot raised a bigger question about India’s democratic health. He asked whether Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar truly embodies the spirit of a functional democracy, especially after opposition protests over alleged electoral irregularities. “This country deserves a democracy that works, not just on paper,” he remarked.

These comments come as the Congress gears up to take on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls. Pilot said the party will contest as a united front, refusing to project any chief‑ministerial candidate just yet, but confident of forming the next government.

In earlier remarks to PTI, Pilot had demanded Kumar’s resignation and defended the right to protest as a vital democratic tool. He also warned that the BJP‑led Centre has failed to curb cross‑border drug trafficking, a thorny issue that the Congress says has worsened under the Bhagwant Mann government.

All in all, Pilot’s interview painted a picture of a Congress that wants to be seen as the party of accountability and people‑first politics, while portraying the BJP as a party that can’t seem to get its footing in Punjab.