The appointment of Sachin Pilot as the new AICC General Secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs indicates a strategic shift by the party high command aimed at appeasing dissenting Punjab Congress leaders who had accused outgoing in-charge Bhupesh Baghel of siding with incumbent PPCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. The move also signals a major shake-up in PPCC, including the likely replacement of Warring and other changes in the state unit.A senior AICC leader said Pilot’s appointment as Punjab in-charge could work to the party’s advantage by helping unite its leaders ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s proposed visit to the state. Leaders, including former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, both of whom had opposed Warring, have already welcomed the move.One of the Congress’s prominent young OBC leaders, Pilot hails from neighbouring Rajasthan and has an understanding of Punjab’s political issues. He has also visited the state on several occasions for various events. His appeal among the Gujjar and other OBC communities in Punjab was another factor considered by the high command. As the son of veteran Congress leader Rajesh Pilot, he also carries the advantage of his father’s political legacy.Pilot’s appointment could prove beneficial for the Congress in the upcoming Assembly election, as the Punjab constituencies of Mansa, Sardulgarh, Budhlada, Fazilka and Abohar border Rajasthan and have a significant population of Bagri-speaking people. Residents of these areas share close kinship and familial ties with people in Rajasthan, along with strong emotional and cultural connections.Party sources said the removal of Bhupesh Baghel, the former Chhattisgarh chief minister and Punjab in-charge, suggests that the high command has taken note of the stiff resistance faced by Baghel and Warring during the series of ‘Har Booth Congress Mazboot’ events. Posters carrying the slogan “Go back Baghel” had surfaced at several places last month.Leaders of the anti-Warring camp had accused Baghel of undermining the Punjab Congress’s prospects of returning to power in the state.A senior leader said the party high command could consider a combination of OBC and Dalit leaders to counter BJP, which has been aggressively targeting the OBC vote-bank through Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini while also seeking to consolidate its support among Dalit voters.