Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday held a key meeting with Punjab Congress leaders in New Delhi as the party intensifies preparations for future electoral challenges in the state. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was also present during the discussions, which were attended by several prominent leaders from Punjab.
Among those present were Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, senior leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and former minister Vijay Inder Singla.
Speaking after the meeting, Bajwa said the party leadership would decide responsibilities and that all leaders would work together to fulfil any role assigned to them. He asserted that the Congress remained united and prepared for the upcoming political battles in Punjab.
Referring to the party’s performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Bajwa noted that Congress had secured eight of the fourteen parliamentary seats in Punjab and Chandigarh combined. He expressed confidence that the party could improve its position further and claimed that Congress was capable of winning between 70 and 80 seats in the next Punjab Assembly elections if it maintained unity and organisational strength.
The meeting comes after observers appointed by the Congress high command submitted their assessment of the party’s situation in Punjab. Political observers believe the leadership may soon make decisions regarding organisational responsibilities and the future roles of senior leaders in the state unit.
Congress has been dealing with concerns over internal factionalism and demands for organisational restructuring in Punjab for several months. To assess the ground situation, the party had deputed observers who held consultations with senior leaders, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders before preparing their report.
The latest meeting is part of a series of engagements undertaken by Rahul Gandhi to strengthen the party in Punjab ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. On May 30, he participated in a strategy meeting at Kharge’s residence, where discussions focused on the party’s roadmap for the upcoming state polls.
Earlier, on May 1, Rahul Gandhi interacted with district-level Congress presidents from Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh, urging them to move away from VIP culture and focus on strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level.
In another significant meeting held in Barnala on February 28, Rahul Gandhi and Kharge reportedly advised Punjab Congress leaders to set aside internal differences and function as a united team in preparation for future elections.
Before that, the Congress leadership, including Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal, had reviewed the political situation in Punjab during a meeting with senior state leaders in New Delhi on January 22.
Party leaders indicated that Sunday’s discussions were aimed at strengthening organisational cohesion and shaping Congress’s strategy for the political challenges ahead in Punjab.