Internal Strife in Punjab Congress Unfolds Amid Leadership Discussions
Punjab Congress Leadership Crisis Revealed
The ongoing internal conflict within the Punjab Congress came to light on Saturday. Senior party leader Rana Gurjeet Singh, considered close to former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, hosted a meeting at his residence with Bhupesh Baghel, the All India Congress Committee's in-charge for Punjab. Baghel arrived at Rana Gurjeet's home around 12:15 PM.
During this meeting, Channi and his senior allies aimed to clarify the ongoing uncertainty by discussing the sentiments of party workers with Baghel. Notable attendees included senior leaders such as Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, and Gurpreet Singh Kangar. The Leader of the Opposition, Pratap Singh Bajwa, and former Deputy Chief Minister O.P. Soni were also present. However, it remained unclear whether Baghel would engage in discussions with all leaders collectively or meet with select individuals.
On July 1, the Congress high command announced that Amarinder Singh Raja Wadding would continue as the Punjab Congress president, while Channi was appointed as the head of the election campaign committee. This decision reportedly upset Channi, who had not met with Baghel since his arrival in Punjab on Monday. On Saturday, Baghel held a separate meeting with Channi's faction, excluding Raja Wadding.
Before entering Rana Gurjeet's residence, Channi informed reporters that he would discuss matters with everyone present and provide updates afterward. When asked if he accepted Wadding as the state president, Channi stated that all issues would be addressed in the meeting. Regarding supporters' reluctance to accept Wadding's leadership, he remarked that discussions should take place first, emphasizing that their stance is already known.
Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, upon being questioned about whether Channi's faction had invited Wadding, suggested that Wadding could clarify whether he was not invited or chose not to attend. Former minister Gurpreet Kangar explicitly stated that the meeting was convened to discuss whether Wadding's leadership was acceptable.
Party leader Inderbir Singh Bolaria mentioned that Bhupesh Baghel would be made aware of the ground realities in Punjab and the sentiments of the workers. He noted that senior leader Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa had already indicated that there were important matters to communicate to the party high command. Channi had previously invited Baghel to share the feelings of the workers on July 11 via a post on the social media platform X.
Since arriving in Punjab on Monday, Bhupesh Baghel has been holding continuous meetings with party officials to prepare for the 2027 assembly elections. Earlier, several current and former legislators had supported the demand to appoint Channi as the state president during a meeting in Mohali attended by Channi. However, Baghel has already made it clear that there is unlikely to be any change in the leadership of the Punjab Congress.