Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 12: With the elections to the state Assembly in Punjab is just about a few months away, the Congress high command will be grappling with the state leadership crisis instead of preparing to take on the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or the principal challenger the BJP.
After the mediation by the Congress in-charge for the state Bhupesh Baghel failed to break the ice between the two rival factions, the simmering infighting within the state party has reached the party high command for a solution even though a reproach at this stage looks difficult.
Leaders backing the former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi continued to express strong opposition to Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring’s leadership for the assembly elections next year and refused to accept him as the party’s chief ministerial face for the Assembly elections.
While the Channi faction demanded that the former chief minister be projected the leader, the Warring faction refused to concede even an inch to the rival faction. Baghel, who had been in Chandigarh to hold consultations with party leaders, later informed through social media that he was returning to Raipur.
The intensified internal turmoil in Punjab is posing a serious challenge for the party leadership ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The state unit is now visibly split into two camps—one backing former Chief Minister Channi, while the other continues to support Punjab Congress president Raja Warring.
In an attempt to defuse the crisis, Mr Baghel held a meeting with disgruntled party leaders on Saturday. Despite efforts to persuade the rebel faction, the discussions failed to produce a breakthrough, with the dissenting leaders refusing to soften their stand.
Several senior leaders at the meeting reiterated their demand for Raja Warring’s removal as the Punjab Congress chief. They also strongly pitched for Charanjit Singh Channi to be projected as the party’s chief ministerial candidate for the assembly elections. The meeting was attended by Channi and Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, both of whom have emerged as key faces of the dissenting camp, while Raja Warring was asked to stay away.
According to party sources, the meeting between Baghel and leaders from the Charanjit Singh Channi-Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa camp remained inconclusive, with both Channi and Randhawa maintaining a firm stand on their demands. As no consensus could be reached, the matter is now expected to be referred to the Congress High Command for a final decision.
The nearly two-hour meeting in Chandigarh reportedly witnessed heated exchanges as the rebel group, comprising three Members of Parliament and nine MLAs, made it clear that they were unwilling to work under Raja Warring.
Sources said several leaders unanimously conveyed that they did not want the party to contest the Punjab elections under Raja Warring’s leadership. They argued that the Congress would find it difficult to return to power if Warring continued as the state unit chief and urged the leadership to appoint a new Punjab Congress president.
Speaking after the meeting, senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa reiterated his opposition to the current leadership, saying the Punjab Congress did not need a “compromised leader.” A video of the meeting was also released along with Randhawa’s remarks, underscoring the sharp differences that continue to persist within the state unit.
Responding to Randhawa’s remarks, Raja Warring said the former did not name him when he alleged the presence of ‘compromised leaders’ in Congress. He also accused many party leaders of meeting BJP and AAP leaders. He also said issues between him and Randhawa would be resolved soon.
Bhupesh Baghel has assured both factions that candidate selection will be based solely on winnability and that no group will be sidelined. He is expected to brief the Congress high command on the developments, after which the party leadership will take the final call on resolving the Punjab unit’s leadership crisis.
Addressing reporters in Chandigarh after meeting various party leaders, Bhupesh Baghel said he had interacted with several leaders at their residences and listened to their concerns. “We do not want any compromised leader in the party. In our party, every leader has the right to express their grievances. There will be no change in the decisions made by the High Command. The party will take action against anyone who crosses the limits of discipline. After the formation of the government, the High Command will decide who the Chief Minister will be,” Baghel said.
His remarks indicated that while party leaders were free to express their opinions, the final authority on organisational and leadership matters rests with the Congress High Command.
Congress leader Pargat Singh said party leaders had placed their views before Baghel and highlighted the prevailing political situation in the state.
“Everyone has to express their own point of view. We have apprised him of the ground reality. Following that, Baghel ji assured us that he will try to incorporate all the suggestions received into our upcoming strategy. I believe he will discuss this with the High Command. Every individual has their own way of expressing things; my way is just different. As for what needed to be said, I think almost everyone has conveyed it quite well,” he said.
The latest episode is part of a long-running leadership tussle within the Punjab Congress that has persisted since the party lost the 2022 Assembly elections to the Aam Aadmi Party. The state unit has witnessed repeated disagreements between different factions over organisational appointments, leadership style and the strategy for rebuilding the party ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.
Amarinder Singh Raja Warring was appointed Punjab unit chief with the task of reviving the organisation. However, a section of senior leaders, including Channi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and several MLAs, has increasingly questioned whether the party can regain power under his leadership.
