While retaining Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab Congress president and Partap Singh Bajwa as the Leader of Opposition, the party high command on Wednesday also appointed chairpersons for key election-related committees and named three working presidents.

A public reaction came in the form of a cryptic post on X by Lok Sabha lawmaker Manish Tewari, whose name did not figure in any of the appointments. “Wish I had an antidote for the insecurities of individuals and institutions!” Tewari said on Thursday, referring to his critics in the party.

“Hai bada koi avgun usme jise koi hunar aave (A person who possesses a skill often has a major flaw),” he added in his post in Hindi. According to a person aware of details, Tewari wasn’t consulted by the party at all, while all other MPs were consulted. The party claims that as he is a Chandigarh MP, it is part of a different set up and not Punjab’s organisation. However, Tewari’s supporters argue that as a former Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib MP, he is very much a part of the Punjab unit.

A second leader HT spoke to pointed out that Tewari was included by the BJP in a parliamentary committee to reach out to the international community in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor while the Congress tried to nominate other leaders. This, along with his history of having been one of the G-23 dissenters who called for an introspection in the party after the 2019 Lok Sabha election loss, remains a sore point in his relationship with the high command.

Tewari, in his tweet said, “Having said that @INCIndia has given me enough over the past 45 years and I have also devoted my entire adult life in the service of the Indian National Congress over the decades. Que sera, sera, Whatever will be, will be…”

Meanwhile, leaders owing allegiance to former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who was vying for post of PPCC president, have expressed unhappiness with the announcements, people familiar with the matter said. Pro-Channi supporters are expected to meet at Channi’s residence to discuss the developments and draw up their future strategy, they added.

Channi did not post any message on social media after being named chairman of the Campaign Committee or thank the party high command. Similarly, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who has been appointed chairman of the Core committee, also did not issue any public statement or social media post on his new responsibility. Party leaders pointed out that it has generally been the practice for leaders to thank the high command after being assigned organisational responsibilities.