Chandigarh, Apr 12 (PTI) The Congress will not tolerate any indiscipline and action will be taken if anyone tries to harm the party’s interests, AICC Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel said on Saturday.

No matter how tall a leader may be, he cannot be bigger than the party, he said in response to a question.

“Discipline is important in any organisation. Indiscipline will not be tolerated at any cost. Whoever takes any step to damage the party, action will be taken (against them),” he said.

The former Chhattisgarh chief minister was on a two-day visit to the state and held a series of meetings with party leaders.

Baghel also said several senior leaders from other parties were in touch with the Congress and had expressed their keenness to join.

During the visit, he said he met a cross-section of leadership, including district and block presidents and leaders of frontal organisations.

The AICC has already spelt out the agenda to strengthen the party, from the grassroots level to the top leadership, he said.

Work has already begun in Punjab with meetings and other programmes at the district, block and the booth level, he added.

Baghel also said the Congress would formulate a comprehensive strategy and committees would be formed to effectively and successfully contest the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll.

Asked about the party’s preparations for the 2027 assembly election, Baghel referred to the series of meetings he held during his visit and said the preparations had already started.

The senior leader revealed that besides the steps to strengthen the Congress, various issues, particularly the ideological fight the party would be leading, were discussed in the meetings.

Baghel also claimed manipulation of voter lists was possible in Punjab.

“If lakhs of votes can be added suspiciously in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Delhi, it can be done in Punjab as well,” he said.

District and block presidents and booth-level workers have been asked to keep a close watch against any manipulation, he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress’ Punjab chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the rank and file would work together to ensure victory for Bharat Bhushan Ashu in the Ludhiana West bypoll.

He made it clear that it was not Ashu’s election alone. “We will fight it together and we will win.” Earlier, Baghel encouraged Youth Congress workers and leaders to rise above local politics and work for the victory of the party in the 2027 assembly election.

Addressing a meeting of block- and district-level Youth Congress workers and leaders, he urged them to work in tandem with other wings of the party to achieve the goals.

The Congress is the only party driven by values of the Constitution, he asserted.

The Youth Congress has a major role to play in Punjab, Baghel said and urged the workers and leaders to reach out to the masses to spread the vision of Rahul Gandhi.

He added that the next assembly polls would be crucial and the Congress had displayed its strength in the last parliamentary elections.

Youngsters would be given 60 per cent representation in the allotment of tickets for the assembly polls, he said.

Baghel also warned that “non-serious leaders” would be shown the door and genuine youth leaders get full recognition in the party. PTI CHS CHS SZM SZM