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| ‘Disowned’ by J&K Cong, Karan Bhagat rewarded by high command with key Punjab assignment | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, May 15: In a significant development that is being viewed as a clear message from the Congress high command to maintain a balance among rival factions in Jammu and Kashmir, dissident Congress leader Karan Bhagat has been assigned a key organisational responsibility at the national level, just days after being appointed as National Coordinator of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Scheduled Caste (SC) Department.
The latest assignment comes despite Bhagat having been “disowned” by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) last year over alleged indiscipline and anti-party activities.
According to an official order issued by the AICC SC Department under the chairmanship of Rajendra Pal Gautam, Bhagat has been appointed Co-Incharge for Punjab in the party’s Scheduled Caste Department. In this capacity, he will coordinate organisational activities in the state along with senior Congress leader Sudhir Chaudhary.
The work allocation order, issued from the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, outlines responsibilities assigned to various National Coordinators appointed to strengthen the party organisation across different states.
Political observers view the move as a strong indication that the Congress leadership has chosen not only to overlook the disciplinary action initiated by the JKPCC but also to elevate Bhagat by entrusting him with a significant organisational role.
Expressing gratitude to the party leadership, Bhagat thanked the Congress high command, senior AICC functionaries and the SC Department leadership for reposing faith in him and giving him an opportunity to serve the organisation in an important capacity.
On April 24, the Congress high command had appointed Bhagat as National Coordinator of the AICC Scheduled Caste Department through an official communication issued by AICC General Secretary K. C. Venugopal.
The appointment was widely seen as a major setback for the current Jammu and Kashmir Congress leadership headed by JKPCC President Tariq Hamid Karra.
On December 11, 2025, the JKPCC had publicly distanced itself from Bhagat, describing his activities as “highly objectionable and unauthorised.” The party had stated that he stood “disowned pending further action” on charges of gross indiscipline, anti-party activities and making what it termed baseless allegations against the leadership.
The controversy had erupted after Bhagat organised a function under the banner of the SC Department, which the UT Congress leadership labelled as “illegal” and “unauthorised.”
However, the programme received strong support from Teena Choudhary, who criticised the JKPCC’s action as unwarranted and defamatory. She asserted that the UT leadership had no authority to question an event conducted under the mandate of the AICC SC Department and indicated that she would lodge a formal complaint against the Jammu and Kashmir leadership for undermining the department’s autonomy.
At the time, the JKPCC had also noted that Bhagat’s request for a party ticket in the 2024 Assembly elections was rejected by the high command after receiving serious complaints regarding his conduct and reputation.
The Pradesh Congress Committee had further expressed concern over the participation of certain party leaders in what it described as an unauthorised programme, particularly in the absence of a duly appointed chairman of the SC Department following Bhagat’s resignation through social media.
Bhagat’s successive elevation and fresh assignment are being interpreted as a sign that the Congress high command continues to repose confidence in him and is keen to accommodate different voices within the party while strengthening its organisational structure across the country. |
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