Cracks wide open in Punjab Congress as Channi camp skips Baghel’s outreach meetings

Congress’s Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday met several State leaders even as a section of disgruntled leaders reportedly camped in New Delhi to press for a meeting with the party’s central leadership amid the ongoing infighting within the State unit. Former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa were conspicuous by their absence from meetings convened by Mr. Baghel.

State Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, however, downplayed the ongoing crisis, saying that Mr. Channi would meet Mr. Baghel within a day or two.

The overhaul of the Punjab Congress on July 1 ahead of the Assembly poll due in early 2027 had sparked internal turmoil.

Mr. Baghel, who arrived in Chandigarh on Monday to iron out the differences and lay the foundation work for the Assembly poll, convened a meeting of the District Congress Committee presidents. He also met several senior party leaders, including Partap Singh Bajwa, Amar Singh, Vijay Inder Singla, Rana K.P. Singh, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Hardial Kamboj, Kuljeet Nagra, Brahm Mohindra, Balbir Sidhu and Shamsher Dullo, among others.

Mr. Warring said, “Our State in-charge met the heads of various committees on Monday, except two of them. Charanjit Singh Channi and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who heads the core committee, would both be meeting Bhupesh Baghel soon,” Mr. Warring said, adding that Mr. Channi has told Mr. Baghel that he would be away for a day or two.

While Mr. Warring was retained as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief in the recent revamp, Mr. Channi was appointed to lead the campaign committee ahead of the Assembly election. However, days later, a meeting of several party leaders and workers was held at Mr. Channi’s Morinda residence. Another meeting was held in Mohali on Monday. According to party insiders, the Lok Sabha MP is upset with the revamp and the meetings were intended to convey his displeasure to the party high command as he had expected to either be made the PPCC chief or named the party’s chief ministerial face.

‘Dalit representation’

Last year, Mr. Channi had called for “greater Dalit representation” in the party, pointing out that Dalits were not getting their due representation, bringing the discord within the party to the fore.

The former Chief Minister faced a setback in the 2022 Assembly election when the Congress suffered a defeat. As the party’s chief ministerial face, he lost both the Assembly seats – Chamkaur Sahib and Bhadaur – he contested from, prompting scrutiny over his leadership.

However, he made a comeback by winning the Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general election.