Channi’s options shrink as Congress refuses to budge in Punjab

Less than a year before the Punjab Assembly election, Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi finds himself in a difficult position after locking horns with the party leadership over the recent organisation overhaul. With the party leadership clearly in no mood to relent, Mr. Channi’s options seem to have narrowed to two alternatives — accept a diminished role within the party or seek a political future elsewhere — neither of which may be favourable for him.

The discord was triggered by the All India Congress Committee’s organisational overhaul on July 1. While Amrinder Singh Raja Warring was retained as the State unit chief, Mr. Channi, Punjab’s first Dalit Chief Minister, was appointed chairman of the State poll campaign panel.

On July 3, the Lok Sabha member from Jalandhar and Congress’s most prominent Dalit face in the State convened a meeting of supporters at his Morinda residence, followed by another gathering in Mohali, in a clear show of strength aimed at persuading the high command to revisit its decision.

He was conspicuous by his absence from an event last week, where Congress general secretary for Punjab Bhupesh Baghel kicked off a nine-day mass mobilisation programme. He has stayed away from party events so far.

While Mr. Baghel has repeatedly ruled out replacing Mr. Warring as the Punjab Congress president, the faction led by the former CM has shown little sign of backing down.

Disruptions during the party’s ‘Har Booth Mazboot’ events in Patiala, Samana and Bathinda, where sections of workers were seen raising slogans in Mr. Channi’s support, have publicly exposed the fault lines. Mr. Baghel’s warning — urging party workers to stay alert against “traitors within the party who could cause serious damage” — seems to have had little effect in calming tempers.

Along with Mr. Channi, leaders such as Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Rana Gurjit are also believed to be upset with the revamp of the party unit, even as veteran leader Partap Singh Bajwa, the Leader of the Opposition in the State, is pushing for party unity to wrest power from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Weighing options

“It appears that Congress factions are weighing their options and trying to outwit each other to gain a political edge. No faction can afford to go it alone. That would be self-destructive. But, if the situation fails to improve, I believe Channi could contest the election separately with leaders from his camp,” said Kehar Singh, former head of the Department of Political Science at Punjabi University.

While Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Kewal Dhillon has said he would welcome the Jalandhar MP into the party, Mr. Kehar feels the chances of disgruntled leaders switching to the BJP are slim.

In January, Mr. Channi, who was also the party’s chief ministerial face in the previous poll in which the Congress suffered a crushing defeat, called for “greater Dalit representation” in the party, adding that the community is “not getting due representation”.

Dalit representation

His remark, which brought the internal discord within the Congress into public, assumed significance given that Dalits constitute nearly 32% of Punjab’s population — the highest proportion among Indian States — making them a decisive electoral constituency.

For the Congress, which had been emerging as a serious contender for the 2027 election, the continuing drama could result in loss of momentum. The infighting has, at least for now, shifted attention from its campaign against AAP towards its own infighting.