Manish Tewari Cryptic Giddar Singhi Punjab Congress Reshuffle Sidelined

Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari triggered fresh political speculation on Thursday with a cryptic social media post, hours after the Indian National Congress announced a new organisational team for Punjab without assigning him a key role.

The post came shortly after the Congress reshuffled its Punjab unit, appointing new working presidents and members of the poll committee while leaving Tewari out of the new organisational structure. Although he made no direct reference to the appointments, the timing fuelled speculation that the veteran leader was expressing disappointment at being sidelined.

Opening his post with the Hindi line, “Hai bada koi avgun usme, jisme koi hunar aave”, Tewari wrote: “Wish I had an antidote (Giddar Singhi) for the insecurities of individuals and institutions!”

The reference to “Giddar Singhi”—a mythical charm popularly believed to possess magical powers—appeared to suggest that there is no remedy for insecurity.

Tewari then struck a reflective note, saying the Congress had given him enough over the past 45 years and that he had devoted his entire adult life to the party.

Ending with “Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be,” he signalled acceptance of whatever lay ahead while avoiding any direct criticism of the party leadership.

Political observers said the wording suggested Tewari was hinting that internal insecurity, rather than merit or experience, may have influenced organisational decisions. At the same time, by acknowledging the party’s contribution to his political career and stopping short of any direct attack, he left the message open to interpretation rather than signalling open dissent.

A leader close to Tewari, requesting anonymity, said the post reflected the veteran leader’s disappointment at being excluded from the new Punjab Congress team.

“Punjab political leaders have their own insecurities, which is why they thought of not including him in the organisational setup,” the source alleged, adding that Tewari’s long association with Punjab and his political experience should have been recognised.

For now, Tewari’s post has raised more questions than it has answered, while drawing attention to the undercurrents within the Punjab Congress following the latest organisational reshuffle.

Although he currently represents Chandigarh in the Lok Sabha, Tewari has had a long political association with Punjab spanning nearly two decades.

He was elected MP from Ludhiana in 2009 and later represented Anandpur Sahib from 2019 to 2024. A Chandigarh-born leader with deep roots in Punjab politics, Tewari also served as Union Information and Broadcasting Minister and has remained one of the Congress’s prominent faces on Punjab’s political and policy issues even after shifting to the Chandigarh parliamentary seat in 2024.

Chandigarh Pradesh Congress Committee president Harmohinder Singh Lucky dismissed speculation over Tewari being left out of the new Punjab Congress organisational team, saying the senior leader’s experience would continue to be valued by the party.

“The Congress high command will certainly utilise Manish Tewari’s services considering his long association with Punjab. He has served the party and the state for many years, and I am confident his experience will be put to good use,” Lucky said.