Internal Strife Continues in Punjab Congress Ahead of Elections
Ongoing Tensions Within Punjab Congress
Despite efforts from the top leadership of the Congress party, internal conflicts within its Punjab unit persist. During an event on Sunday, supporters of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi raised slogans in the presence of Bhupesh Baghel, the party's general secretary in charge of Punjab. As the party gears up for the upcoming assembly elections early next year, Channi's supporters have been vocal at various events, including disruptions at the 'Har Booth Congress Majboot' programs held in Patiala and Sangrur on Saturday.
At the event in Barnala on Sunday, a group of party workers began chanting in support of Channi, causing a temporary halt to proceedings. Amarinder Singh Raja Wadding, the state Congress chief, urged them to allow the meeting to proceed without interruptions, stating, 'No slogans, please.' To calm the agitated leaders, local MLA Kuldeep Singh Kalla Dhillon stepped down from the stage.
Dhillon, without naming anyone, remarked, 'There are five to seven leaders in this state who talk in Delhi and create their own narratives. They claim to strengthen Congress while sitting in Indira Bhawan in Delhi, only to return and harm others in the state.' He emphasized the need to be cautious of such individuals.
Former minister Razia Sultana suggested that those deliberately creating a negative atmosphere within the party should be expelled. She stated, 'If anyone has a problem, they should address it before the high command.'
Despite repeated assurances from the party leadership about strengthening organizational unity ahead of the 2027 Punjab elections, the state unit continues to grapple with factionalism. This internal discord became evident after the Congress high command decided on July 1 to retain Amarinder Singh Raja Wadding as the state unit chief and appoint Jalandhar MP Channi as the head of the election campaign committee.
Amidst increasing tensions over leadership in the state, Bhupesh Baghel stated on Saturday that the Congress high command would ultimately decide on the party's chief ministerial candidate and ministers after the Punjab assembly elections. He had previously dismissed claims of factionalism within the Punjab unit but warned that anyone displaying indiscipline would be expelled from the party.
On Saturday, Channi also urged party workers to maintain discipline during meetings and avoid slogans that could create divisions within the party. Baghel is currently on a visit to Punjab.