Ludhiana, June 28 -- Days after he lost the Ludhiana West assembly byelection to Aam Aadmi Party candidate Sanjeev Arora by 10,637 votes, Congress nominee and former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Friday hinted at internal sabotage in the party for his defeat. Ashu, who had stepped down as the working president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on moral grounds soon after the result was declared on June 23, did not name anyone when he took to social media to raise concerns about "proxy politics" in his party. "Some individuals appeared to treat the bypoll as an opportunity to settle personal scores rather than work in the party's interest," he said. A major reason behind Congress' defeat in Ludhiana West appears to be the "lack of unity" between Ashu, who was appointed working president on April 11, 2022, and Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. The rift hurt the party's prospects as Warring stayed away from key events, including Ashu's roadshow in the run-up to the high-stakes byelection seen as a bellwether for the Punjab assembly elections in 2027. AAP's Arora had secured a clear lead from the initial rounds of counting and maintained it till the 14th and final round, polling 35,179 votes, while Ashu got 24,542 votes. The AAP's vote share improved, while Congress' saw a drop in a seat once considered a stronghold. Ashu posted on Friday: "My resignation - now accepted by the high command - is an act of responsibility, not an admission of guilt. The Ludhiana West byelection result was disappointing. But reducing it to the actions of a few individuals is not only politically inaccurate, it is also internally damaging." In his detailed note, Ashu denied running a parallel campaign. "Those who worked closely with me know the sincerity of my effort," he wrote, admitting there had been a breakdown in coordination within the party ranks during the campaign. He added that he tried to bridge the internal divide but was unable to do so. Ashu called for introspection within the party. "This moment must not become one of blame-it must become one of course correction," he wrote, questioning why voters disengaged and why the campaign lacked unity. He urged the leadership to reflect on the reasons behind the disconnect rather than indulging in finger-pointing. Having spent over two decades in the Congress, Ashu said he never sought comfort or convenience in politics, but always stood by the party even during his personal legal challenges. "I paid the price for standing by the Congress when others benefitted, and I did it with my head held high," he said....