The ongoing leadership dispute in the Punjab Congress is set to reach the party’s top leadership, with former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his supporters preparing to raise their concerns before Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. The development comes as the party’s Punjab affairs in-charge, Bhupesh Baghel, began a fresh round of consultations in Chandigarh in an effort to bridge differences within the state unit.
Baghel, who is on a five-day visit to Punjab, held meetings with the party’s working presidents and office-bearers on Tuesday, followed by discussions with district Congress presidents. However, leaders identified with the Channi camp stayed away from the first meeting, signalling their continued dissatisfaction with the organisational developments in the state.
Leaders close to Channi alleged that the Punjab in-charge had failed to present the actual political situation before the Congress high command during earlier consultations. According to them, the central leadership’s decision to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Warring as the Punjab Congress president was taken without receiving a complete picture of the views held by a large section of state leaders. Members of the faction said they saw little purpose in attending Baghel’s meeting as they believed their concerns had not been effectively conveyed to the party leadership.
Responding to the criticism, Baghel appealed for patience and said the consultation process was still underway. He maintained that he would present a comprehensive assessment after completing his meetings over the next two days. Stressing that he remained accessible to all leaders, Baghel said he was willing to meet anyone who invited him, including at their residence, as part of his efforts to restore organisational unity.
Sources in the Channi camp said the former Chief Minister has already received the support of one Member of Parliament and six MLAs. They added that Channi, along with MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, senior leader Pragat Singh and others, is expected to meet the Congress leadership in Delhi following Rahul Gandhi’s return from his overseas visit. The delegation is likely to present its concerns regarding the functioning of the Punjab unit and the recent organisational decisions.
While Channi has not addressed the media over the controversy, he has twice posted messages on social media highlighting unity within the party. Referring to meetings held at his residence in Morinda and later in Mohali, he said Congress leaders had gathered to ensure that the sentiments of Punjab workers reached the party high command and reiterated that unity remained the party’s greatest strength.
Randhawa also questioned the purpose of the party’s consultation exercise, saying the final organisational decision appeared unchanged despite several rounds of meetings and discussions. He argued that if the leadership had already decided to continue with the existing arrangement, it could have communicated its decision much earlier instead of holding prolonged deliberations with state leaders.
Meanwhile, Raja Warring rejected suggestions that the Punjab Congress was heading towards a deeper split. He said the organisational meetings convened by Baghel were aimed at strengthening coordination and expressed confidence that all senior leaders would soon come together on a common platform. According to Warring, several former ministers, former legislators and office-bearers were interacting with Baghel during his visit as part of the consultation process.
Clarifying Channi’s absence from Tuesday’s meeting, Warring said Baghel had already informed the media that the former Chief Minister was away from Chandigarh for a couple of days and would meet him after his return. He also said some party functionaries had already met the Punjab in-charge, while others had conveyed that they would do so after consulting Channi and Randhawa.
The Punjab Congress chief also defended the party’s disciplinary action against former MLA Madan Lal Jalalpur, who has been issued a show-cause notice. Warring said the Congress would take action against any leader who spoke against the party high command or violated organisational discipline. He said Jalalpur had been asked to submit his explanation within the stipulated time, after which the party would decide on the appropriate course of action.
With rival factions continuing to lobby both in Chandigarh and Delhi, the organisational battle within the Punjab Congress has entered a crucial phase, with the party leadership expected to play a key role in addressing differences and preventing the internal dispute from escalating further.